I have had abdominal pains every few months for 4 years. they come and go and when they come they are painful. what is the problem?

Family Practice: Probably colicky type pain or menstral irritable bowel syndrome can cause intermittent pain. Need to be seen if it persists.

See your doctor: Entire chapters of books are written about abdominal pain, so any answers here would be purely speculative. What you need is a thorough history, physical exam and appropriate testing to better discern what the problem is. Good luck.