Christina Applegate says health has worsened after MS misdiagnosis
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Christina Applegate has revealed that her health has continued to deteriorate following her multiple sclerosis (MS) misdiagnosis, leaving her uncertain about what has been happening to her since 2021.
The actress shared the update on her ‘Messy’ podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has MS. Applegate also opened up about the emotional toll of her diagnosis and the impact her ongoing health struggles have had on her life and career.
Christina Applegate reveals ongoing health struggles after MS misdiagnosis
During Tuesday’s episode of the podcast, Applegate explained that learning she did not have MS had not improved her health. “You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of the sudden I’m better,” she said.
Addressing Sigler, the ‘Dead to Me’ star added, “I haven’t gotten better, Jamie! If anything, I’ve gotten worse. So I’m back at square one where I don’t know what’s going on with me.”
Applegate revealed that her doctors would conduct “an online investigation” to determine what had been happening since 2021, when she was misdiagnosed with MS. She also recalled the moment her doctor informed her of the mistake. “My doctor came into my room and said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS,’” she said through tears.
Applegate explained that she was not happy with the news, although everyone else was pleased. The Emmy winner admitted that she remained in a “state of shock” over the misdiagnosis, describing the experience as overwhelming.
She also spoke about no longer being part of the MS community, where she had once been considered the “poster child.” “It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down,” Applegate confessed.
Despite learning that she did not have MS, the actress said her physical difficulties had continued. “I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this. Nothing magical happened when she said, ‘You don’t have MS.’ Nothing magical happened,” she explained.
Christina Applegate opens up about depression and impact on her career
During the podcast episode, Applegate emotionally discussed experiencing “a great depression” because of her MS diagnosis and feeling that she had “lost everything.” She said the condition had affected her career and brought her life to a standstill.
“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,” she said.
Applegate was discharged from the hospital last month following a stay that began in March. Although she mentioned dealing with “some health stuff” during Tuesday’s podcast, she did not explicitly disclose what had caused her prolonged hospital stay.
The ‘Married… with Children’ alum has faced several health obstacles over the years. In February, she revealed that she was confined to bed while continuing to try to take her 15-year-old daughter, Sadie LeNoble, to school, describing it as her “favorite thing to do.”
“I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do,” she told PEOPLE at the time.
