#Bruce Springsteen Says Peptic Ulcer Disease Has ‘Been a Monster’

Bruce Springsteen is giving fans an update on the painful stomach illness that forced him to cancel a number of shows.

The “Born to Run” singer, 74, kicked off an episode of his SiriusXM E Street Radio show From My Home to Yours on Monday by introducing himself as “your favorite rock star with a bitch of a bellyache!”

Springsteen announced in September that he was in the midst of treatment for peptic ulcer disease, and would have to push back the remainder of his 2023 tour dates as a result.

Later in the E Street Radio show, he expressed his appreciation for the support his fans have shown him in the wake of the concert postponements, and said that his condition has been “a monster” to deal with, and is still causing him pain.

“Let me take a moment and thank my fans affected by our postponed shows for their understanding,” he said. “I am deeply sorry but this belly thing, despite my ability to laugh at it, has been a monster and is still unfortunately rocking my internal world.”

Upon announcing his illness, Springsteen said he was “heartbroken” to have to push back his September concerts, but promised he and his E Street Band would be “back to pick these shows up and then some.”

He later canceled all of his 2023 shows “out of an abundance of caution,” and a statement shared to social media said he “has continued to recover steadily from peptic ulcer disease over the past few weeks.”

Springsteen kicked off an ambitious tour last February, marking their first U.S. tour dates since 2016 and first international dates since 2017.

The statement announcing his peptic ulcer disease said Springsteen’s sidelining was “the decision of his medical advisors.”

An ulcer is an open sore, while peptic means acid is the root of the problem, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. With peptic ulcer disease, sores can develop on the inside lining of the stomach and part of the small intestine, causing belly pain, nausea, vomiting or feelings of bloat and fullness.

Springsteen announced last week that he has rescheduled his canceled dates for March and April. The tour will then pick back up in August in Pittsburgh.

Elsewhere in his Monday show, Springsteen welcomed fellow rockers Mike Wilson, Mike Domanski, Donnie Powell and Craig Caprioni, and the group reminisced on their early days playing small venues in New Jersey.

The singer-songwriter played hits like “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by the Beatles, and revealed that his favorite bands are the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Dave Clark 5.