Christina Applegate Reveals Misdiagnosis: The ‘Dead to Me’ Star Doesn’t Have MS

For over five years, Christina Applegate has been a prominent advocate for the multiple sclerosis community. She co-hosted a podcast discussing her experiences and candidly shared her daily challenges, providing comfort to many. This makes the recent turn in her health journey particularly shocking.

The Emmy winner publicly announced her diagnosis in August 2021, sharing her strange journey on X and requesting privacy. She experienced symptoms like numbness in her toes and a buckling leg while filming her Netflix series ‘Dead to Me,’ leading to a five-month pause in production as she began treatment. As her condition deteriorated, she stepped away from on-camera acting.

In a surprising update, Applegate disclosed that she does not have multiple sclerosis. The 54-year-old shared this revelation on Tuesday during a two-part episode of her ‘MeSsy‘ podcast, co-hosted with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, marking her return after a seven-month hiatus.

According to Applegate, her doctor recently informed her that she never had MS. While others in the room reacted with joy, she expressed her distress, stating that the change in diagnosis did not alleviate her ongoing symptoms, which have worsened over time.

Feeling as though she is back at square one, Applegate explained that her doctors must now identify the true cause of her debilitating symptoms. She mentioned that new technology contributed to this discovery and that she remains in shock as she processes the news.

In the second episode, Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor in the neurology department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, joined Applegate. She explained that misdiagnoses of MS are relatively common due to the lack of a definitive test for the disease, noting that around 20 percent of individuals diagnosed with MS are misdiagnosed. Applegate highlighted that various conditions can mimic MS.

The episode also delved into more personal reflections. Applegate expressed feeling as though she let down her supporters after being a vocal advocate for the MS community, describing her experience as a confusing rollercoaster. Sigler reassured her that she had not misled anyone.

This revelation follows a challenging period for Applegate. TMZ reported in April that she had been hospitalized in Los Angeles in late March, although the reason was not disclosed. A representative stated that she has a long history of complex medical conditions, which she has openly discussed, and TMZ later reported her discharge in early August after nearly four months in the hospital.

Earlier this year, Applegate published a memoir titled ‘You With the Sad Eyes,’ where she detailed her life with symptoms, from struggling to lift her arm to reach for a glass of water to frequent emergency room visits. She previously mentioned being hospitalized over 30 times since her diagnosis.

Currently, the cause of her symptoms remains unidentified. Applegate has indicated that she continues to face significant mobility challenges, and her medical team is working diligently to uncover what is happening with her body.

This is a lot for anyone to handle, and Applegate has consistently shared her most difficult moments with the public. She gained fame as a teenager on ‘Married… with Children,’ won an Emmy for her guest role on ‘Friends,’ and starred in films like ‘Anchorman’ and ‘Bad Moms,’ all while surviving breast cancer in 2008. Fans have long appreciated her honesty, which is especially evident now.

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