loose stool, abdominal pain for 8 years+

[stracken]

I have been have this problem since the age of about 10. Basically what happens is i get severe abdominal pain, around my left side probably in my large intestine before have very loose stools. This can last as long as half an hour before it finally stops. It does smell awful.  it literally feels as if my entire system as been emptied. This happens fairly regularly about every month or so, give or take a few weeks. This has been happening for around about 8 years.
When i was younger, the pain was excrutiating, but as i've got older i've learnt to deal with it. As you can imagine it has a prominent effect on my life, constantly worrying whether or not i'm going to be alright or not.
I have, for the last 8 years, just dealt with it, but now i'm going away to university (or college as its called in America), its become a bit more problematic as i don't want to have this happening to me whilst i'm there.

I have considered it could be something to do with my diet, but my diet is fairly good and i eat well. I thought it might be psychological but i don't know what causes it.
I can't believe that i am the only one who has this problem. Has anybody had anything similar?

[stracken]

thanks very much for the reply!
I will try and see my GP before i go away and see if anything can be done.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the forum!
Sorry to hear you have been suffering for so long. You could probably be suffering from Celiac Disease/Ulcerative Colitis/Irritable Bowel Syndrome/ Crohn’s disease. Parasites in the gut like threadworm, tape worm, giardiasis etc can behave this way. Hence a stool test is a must. Problems of gall bladder and liver or that of pancreas too cannot be ignored.
Gluten is a complex protein present in four main grains---wheat, rye, barley and oats. If you have gluten intolerance, then you probably have celiac disease or Non Celiac gluten sensitivity. There are blood tests called celiac test to detect gluten intolerance.
Another possibility is lactose intolerance.
I would strongly recommend you to see a gastroenterologist (a specialist who looks after the diseases of our digestive system). Maybe your physician can recommend someone. A number of times a gastroenterologist is able to diagnose these conditions by clinical examination and detailed medical history. Other times you may need a few tests.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!