About 10% of the population in western countries suffer from abdominal pain and change of bowel habits - known as the irritable bowel syndrome. The patients suffer from low quality of life and they are often not well taken care of within the public healthcare system. They often feel frustrated and seek both their family doctors, specialists and alternative medicine for help. Many patients feel they do not know enough about their disease, and the uncertainty may enhance bowel symptoms. We want to evaluate the effect of patient information and education in these patients.

The patients are enrolled in endoscopic clinics in 7 hospitals in Norway. They are randomized to receive intervention now (intervention group) or in 6 months (control group). The intervention is a 6 hour education about the irritable bowel syndrome, held by a experienced gastroenterologist at the local hospital.

Elements in this "school-day" includes symptoms, epidemiology, pathophysiology, treatment, nutritional advices.

The patients are evaluated at time: 0 months and 6 months (intervention group and control group), 12 months (control group) and after 2 years (both groups).

Inclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, verified by the Rome II criteria
• Must be able to participate in a education-group

Exclusion Criteria:

• Another GI-diagnosis or kind of surgery that may interfere with the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
• Serious, untreated psychiatric disorder