Christina Applegate Says She Was Misdiagnosed With MS

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Actress Christina Applegate has shared her heart-wrenching experience of being misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a revelation she made during an episode of her podcast, MeSsy, co-hosted with Jamie-Lynn Sigler. The 54-year-old star, known for her role in Bad Moms, revealed that she was incorrectly diagnosed with the chronic condition over five years ago.

A Shocking Revelation

Applegate described the moment she learned she didn’t have MS as emotionally overwhelming. During the podcast, she said, “She came into my room and said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS.’ I was, like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.” The news left her in a “state of shock,” and she called the misdiagnosis a “mindf*ck.”

Medical Experts Confirm Common Misdiagnoses

Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, joined the podcast and confirmed that MS misdiagnoses are “fairly common.” Kaisey explained that there is no single test for MS, unlike a pregnancy test, and that the diagnosis is based on a list of criteria. She noted that almost one in five people who were told they had MS did not actually have the condition, and many were on medication for years.

Impact on Applegate’s Life

Applegate shared how the misdiagnosis affected her life, including losing her job and becoming dependent on a wheelchair. She said, “I’ve gone through a great depression because of it. But I lost everything. I lost my job. I lost — I’m sorry. What do you say to someone who’s been living with this for six years — God, I’m so sorry — because it stopped my life.”

Struggling with New Reality

Despite the news, Applegate still experiences symptoms and feels “back at square one.” She expressed frustration, saying, “You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of the sudden I’m better. I haven’t gotten better, Jamie! If anything, I’ve gotten worse.” She is now undergoing an investigation to understand what has been causing her symptoms since 2021.

Public Figure in the MS Community

Applegate admitted that it is awkward to be a prominent figure in the MS support community now that her diagnosis has been overturned. She said, “It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down. I became this — you and I, the poster children for MS. And everything I was doing. I had a reason. I had a f***ing reason as to why my day sucked every day. And now I don’t have a reason, and it’s very unnerving, and it’s very confusing for me.”

Podcast Hiatus and Future Plans

Applegate had been on hiatus from her podcast for seven months before revealing her story. She plans to continue her podcast and share her journey as she seeks answers to her health issues.

Source: Daily Wire