Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis

Emmy-nominated actor Christina Applegate announced Tuesday that she had been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a condition she believed she had for more than five years, leaving her “back at square one” as she continues to experience debilitating medical issues.

Applegate, who revealed the misdiagnosis on the latest episode of her podcast “MeSsy,” broke down in tears as she recalled a doctor recently telling her: “Congratulations. You don’t have MS.”

“You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of a sudden I’m better,” Applegate told her podcast co-host, “The Sopranos” actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler. “I haven’t gotten better, Jamie. If anything, I’ve gotten worse in some ways.

“I’m back at square one, that I don’t know what’s going on with me,” Applegate added.

Applegate disclosed that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, calling her medical ordeal “a tough road.” She received a standing ovation at the 2024 Emmy Awards, appearing on stage with a cane. In an interview that year, she said she lived “kind of in hell.”

Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information between the brain and body. The immune system attacks the body’s nerve linings, producing unpredictable symptoms such as pain, fatigue or paralysis.

Applegate is best known for her television roles on Fox’s “Married with Children” and Netflix’s “Dead to Me.” She also appeared in both “Anchorman” movies. She has received eight Emmy nominations, winning in 2003 for her guest appearance on NBC’s “Friends.”

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