Symptoms of Chronic Cholecystitis

pain in the right hypochondriumChronic cholecystitis is characterized by a progressively worsening condition of the patient. The most common symptom of chronic cholecystitis is pain localized in the right hypochondrium.

  • If the patient has hypotonic biliary dyskinesia, then the pain will be dull and continuous. In about 50% of the cases, the patient might not experience any pain at all, only feeling heaviness in the right hypochondrium.
  • If the patient has hypertonic biliary dyskinesia, the pain will be more acute, appearing from time to time and imitating biliary colic. The cause of this pain is the muscle spasm of the gallbladder which appears as a result of not following the diet (eating fatty and friend food, soft drinks, eggs, beer, wine, etc.) and as a result of stress.

Other symptoms of chronic cholecystitis may include


  • Having a bitter taste on the back of the tongue (especially in the morning) – this happens as a result of the bile reflux from duodenum into the esophagus;
  • Bitter belching, which can sometimes be followed by vomiting of bile;
  • Diarrhea or constipation – can happen as a result of non-specific reaction of the gastrointestinal tract to the constant inflammation of the gallbladder;
  • Itchy skin – this symptom is actually quite serious as it can indicate that the bile cannot exit the biliary ducts and is absorbed back into the blood stream. This usually goes hand in hand with jaundice. However, in some cases the patient might not notice the yellow tint of his or her skin, but notice the constant itching;
  • Subfebrile temperature – due to constant inflammation the body’s temperature can rise up to 38° Celsius;
  • Symptoms of food allergy – could happen as a result of improper digestion of the food that the patient ingests;
  • Other non-specific symptoms may include fatigue, irritability, and loss of appetite.