Cholecystitis: Symptoms and Treatments

2. Symptom: Abdominal Pain

Besides abdominal pain associated with gallstones, cholecystitis can cause a generalized discomfort in the middle of your upper abdomen, below the breastbone. You might feel pain in the liver or gallbladder, which is in the upper, right area of your abdomen. The pain can extend to the right shoulder or back in some cases. The pain may start after eating a meal and get worse during a deep breath but can last for hours. Chronic cholecystitis can cause an intermittent pain that comes and goes irregularly. It may be mild and not be accompanied by any other symptoms. Thus, it can be difficult to diagnose chronic cholecystitis because the symptoms are not specific to any one illness. You may experience a sudden attack or episode of pain before realizing the severity.