He won’t be playing any three-hour shows with these symptoms.
If you were planning on seeing Bruce Springsteen live in concert this year, we have some disappointing news.
The Boss has canceled all performances scheduled for the rest of the year due to an ongoing struggle with peptic ulcer disease. Per a statement posted across his social media accounts, Springsteen cited the decision to cancel all remaining 2023 tour dates as one that came from “an abundance of caution.” He also confirmed that all dates would be rescheduled for 2024.
“Thanks to all my friends and fans for your good wishes, encouragement, and support,” he concluded. “I’m on the mend and can’t wait to see you all next year.”
So what is peptic ulcer disease, anyway, and what are the symptoms Springsteen might be suffering from? We’ve got the details below.
What are peptic ulcers, and what are the symptoms?
According to the Mayo Clinic, peptic ulcers are open sores that develop along your stomach lining, as well as on the upper portion of your small intestine. There are two types of peptic ulcers: gastric ulcers (the ones that appear in your stomach), and duodenal (the ones that appear in the small intestine).
Given the description above, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number one symptom for peptic ulcers is a burning stomach pain. The Mayo Clinic notes that this pain tends to be the worst between meals and at night. With that said, some people have peptic ulcers with no symptoms whatsoever.
Other less common symptoms of peptic ulcers include:
- Vomiting/vomiting blood
- Bloody stool
- Feeling faint
- Trouble breathing
- Weight loss
- Change in appetite
So, yeah — it’s safe to say that it wouldn’t be fun to perform in front of tens of thousands of people when you’re dealing with symptoms like those.
What causes peptic ulcers?
For many years, people believed that peptic ulcers were caused by chronic stress, excess amounts of stomach acid, and unhealthy eating patterns. But now, scientists have found that these ulcers are most often caused by bacteria. As a result of that breakthrough, patients are now able to receive antibiotic treatments to deal with their ulcers, rather than simply trying to treat the symptoms as they come.
So how long does it take for someone to recover from peptic ulcers, you ask (while rabidly refreshing your Ticketmaster page to see when the postponement dates will be announced)?
According to Mount Sinai, most peptic ulcers disappear after 4 to 6 weeks of treatment, and symptoms of the ulcers can often stop after the antibiotic round (which usually takes 5 to 15 days). This explains the timeframe that Springsteen has blocked off for recovery — and spells an optimistic outcome for a 2024 Springsteen experience.
