Christina Applegate says that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis after years of debilitating symptoms – and that she’s “back to square one” with her health journey.
The “Anchorman” actress revealed the news on her “MeSsY” podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie Lynn Sigler, in a two-part episode that went live on Tuesday.
Applegate, 54, said her doctor recently gave her tests after changes in her treatments did not go as expected.
“This may come as great news, but to me, it comes – as like, I’m back at square one,” Applegate said on the podcast, her voice breaking. “It’s hard to say that. She came into my room, and she said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS.'”
“What does that moment feel like?” Sigler asked her.
“Well, I was like, not happy at all. You know, not everybody else was so happy,” Applegate said. “…Because you don’t get misdiagnosed, and then all of a sudden, I’m better, right? I haven’t gotten better, Jamie. If anything, I’ve gotten worse in some ways, so I’m back at square one, that I don’t know what’s going on with me.”
She continued: “I’m just in a state of shock right now.”
Applegate earlier this year had an extended hospital stay that lasted months.
She began to experience numbness in her toes in 2021, which led to various medical tests, including nerve tests. That led to her MS diagnosis in June 2021, which she revealed publicly later that year.
Applegate and Sigler “get vulnerable” on their podcast, providing their perspectives about both of them being diagnosed with MS.
Applegate breakout role was on the TV show “Married with Children,” playing Kelly Bundy.
What is multiple sclerosis?
Multiple sclerosis is a disease that causes the breakdown of nerves in the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Symptoms can vary widely between people, depending on where there is nervous system damage in the body. It can cause numbness, weakness, trouble walking, vision changes, among other symptoms.
While there is no cure for MS, there are treatments for it.
