Gallstones

Questions to Discuss with Your Doctor:

• Do you have pain in the mid- or upper-right portion of your abdomen?
• Do fatty meals worsen the pain?
• Does the pain occur several hours after eating?
• Do you have nausea, vomiting, or bloating?
• Does the pain ever go through to your back?
• Is the pain steady or intermittent?
• Have you had fevers?
• How long does it take for the pain to go away?
• Do you take any medications (for example, birth-control pills or hormone replacement therapy)?
• Have you had any rapid weight loss?
• Are you of Native American descent?
• Have you noticed darkening of your urine or yellowing of the eyes?

Your Doctor Might Examine the Following Body Structures or Functions:

• Careful abdominal exam and rectal exam

Your Doctor Might Order the Following Lab Tests or Studies:

• Blood tests of liver function
• Complete blood count
• Abdominal ultrasound (see p. 140 and 760)
• Cholescintigraphy
• ERCP, or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancretography (see p.761)