Actor Christina Applegate Says She Is 'Back At Square One' After MS Misdiagnosis

Christina Applegate has revealed that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a condition she believed she had been living with since 2021. The actor opened up about the news on her podcast, MeSsY, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has MS.

In a two-part episode released on Tuesday, Applegate spoke about the shock of learning that her diagnosis was incorrect after years of treatment. She also shared how difficult it has been to come to terms with the fact that, despite the new findings, her health has not improved.

Christina Applegate Recalls Being Diagnosed With MS In 2021

Applegate, who announced her MS diagnosis in August 2021 at the age of 49, recalled undergoing several tests to find out what was causing her symptoms. These included brain and spinal MRIs and a spinal tap. She said doctors eventually found nearly 40 lesions on her brain, which appeared to explain what she had been experiencing.

At the time, Applegate believed she finally had an answer. She later began treatment and received infusions for years, but the treatment took a toll on her body.

A couple of years ago, her doctor suggested stopping the infusions and monitoring her B cells. When they did not change as expected, her medical team began looking into her diagnosis again. Advances in brain MRI technology eventually helped doctors determine that she did not have MS.

Recalling the moment her doctor shared the news, Applegate said, "She came into my room and she said, 'Congratulations, you don't have MS. Congratulations.'"

But the news was not easy to accept. While others around her were happy, the actor struggled to understand what it meant for her health.

'I Haven't Gotten Better': Christina Applegate On Living With Symptoms

Applegate explained that learning she had been misdiagnosed did not change the symptoms she continues to experience. After years of believing MS was the reason behind her health struggles, she is now back to trying to understand what is wrong.

"You don't get misdiagnosed, and then all of a sudden, I'm better," she added. "I haven't gotten better, Jamie. If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways. So I'm back at square one where I don't know what's going on with me, and that's going to be an online investigation that my doctors are going to get into to find out what has been happening since 2021. Why did this happen? I have every symptom of someone with MS - every single one."

The uncertainty has also affected her emotionally. Applegate said that having an MS diagnosis gave her a reason for her daily struggles and helped her connect with others going through similar experiences.

"I feel like I let everybody down. I became, you and I, the poster children for MS. I had a reason - I had a fucking reason - as to why my day sucked every day. And now I don't have a reason, and it's very unnerving and very confusing for me," she said, breaking down in tears.

The actor added that she was still processing the news and would begin looking for the right specialists to help determine the cause of her symptoms. She also spoke about taking time away from the podcast to focus on herself after working on her book and dealing with other health issues.

"I needed some time to process that, but I also needed me time, after the book and some health stuff that was going on," she said. "I just needed time to find the love in life again."

Applegate also described how her condition continues to affect her everyday life. "It hurts to get out of bed; it hurts to stand up. I'm still sleeping all the time. I've still got a lot of health issues. But I'm finding ways to make my room joyous and make sure that my doors are open and that I can hear the birds and the fountain outside."

Christina Applegate Says She Has Lost Her Independence

In the second part of the episode, Applegate and Sigler spoke with Dr Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, about the news and what could happen next.

During the conversation, Applegate became emotional while reflecting on how much her health struggles have changed her life, including her career and ability to move around independently.

Applegate admitted that she was still in shock, describing the experience as "a mind fuck, for sure". She also said that the process of finding answers was only just beginning, and she would need to take an active role in finding specialists who could help her.

Sigler, who has spoken openly about living with MS, encouraged her co-host to give herself time to process the news while remaining open to what comes next. She also reminded Applegate that her reaction was understandable given everything she had been through.

Despite the difficult conversation, the two actors said they wanted MeSsY to remain a space where they could talk about the things that bring them joy, including their favourite Bravo shows and Andy Cohen. They also plan to bring experts on the podcast to discuss Applegate's diagnosis and the next steps in her medical journey.

When Sigler encouraged her to look forward to doing a little dance now that she no longer has an MS diagnosis, Applegate responded with a laugh, "I've been talking about that damn jumping for so long!"

For Applegate, however, the biggest question remains unanswered: what has been causing her symptoms all these years? While she no longer has an MS diagnosis, she continues to live with the physical challenges that have affected her life since 2021 and hopes further medical investigations will finally provide some clarity.

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