Experts have outlined five common early warning signs of MS, as Christina Applegate admitted she initially ignored her own symptoms.
Four years ago, the 53-year-old Dead to Me star was officially diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a lifelong autoimmune disease that disrupts communication between the brain and nerves throughout the body.
Since then, Applegate has been candid about her struggles - physically, mentally, and emotionally - as she comes to terms with a condition that now defines much of her daily life.
The Emmy-award winner believes she began experiencing MS symptoms years before her official diagnosis, though she initially dismissed them.
“I really just kind of put it off as being tired, or I’m dehydrated, or it’s the weather,” she said in an interview with Today. “And then nothing would happen for, like, months, and I didn’t pay attention.”
As her condition worsened, she finally got clarity in 2021. But experts and charities say awareness of MS symptoms is crucial, particularly because early diagnosis and treatment can help manage the condition more effectively.
MS most commonly begins between the ages of 20 and 40 and affects women three times more often than men. Though there’s no cure, early treatment can significantly improve quality of life.
The UK-based charity Multiple Sclerosis Trust has highlighted five early symptoms that are common in people with the condition. These signs can vary from person to person, but recognizing them early is key to seeking timely medical advice.
1. FatigueThis isn’t just normal tiredness. MS-related fatigue is described as overwhelming exhaustion - both physical and mental - that feels completely out of sync with a person’s daily activities.
2. Slowed thinkingAbout half of the people with the condition experience cognitive issues such as difficulty concentrating, planning, or making decisions.
3. Stumbling or coordination issuesPeople with MS may experience problems with balance and coordination, including unexplained stumbling or tripping, dizziness, or a spinning sensation.
4. Unusual skin sensationsDescribed as one of the more bizarre symptoms, people report feelings like pins and needles, electric shocks, numbness, burning, buzzing, or even crawling insects.
5. Sudden eyesight problemsMany with MS face visual disturbances, including optic neuritis - a condition that can cause eye pain and temporary vision loss.
The Vacation actress' symptoms intensified in the years following those initial signs.
During the first season of her Netflix series, her legs would sometimes give out. By the time production began on the third season, she couldn't even walk without assistance.
“Things just started to get weirder and weirder," she said on SiriusXM's This Life of Mine with James Corden. "Before I knew it, we were about to start shooting the last season of Dead To Me, and by this time I was like, 'You guys, I can't even walk up the steps to my trailer."
Her condition has since progressed to include shaky hands, speech difficulties, numb toes, and ongoing weakness. Even everyday tasks now present immense physical challenges.
"I went to go to the dentist yesterday, and it was a half-an-hour appointment, and it was like the most miserable hour and a half of my life," Applegate shared on the Making Space podcast with Hoda Kotb.
"Just getting down my stairs, getting into the car, getting into the parking lot, getting into the elevator, going into the office, like the whole thing was not even an hour and a half," she continued.
Though the physical toll is immense, the Bad Moms star highlighted the emotional strain of living with the neurological disease.
“I'm angry at it still, and there’s a lot of us out there who are newly diagnosed that are not quite ready to accept this reality,” she said. “I keep thinking that I’m just going to wake up from this nightmare, and it’s just going to be over...I want to do these things, and I can't, and it feels like I'm getting worse. And that’s disheartening."
Still, a sense of hope lingers. “There’s like this voice inside of me that is like, 'You've got to believe in a miracle. You've got to believe in another side of this.'"
Applegate discussed these experiences with her MeSsy podcast co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has lived with MS for over 20 years. Together, they rejected the idea that there’s a “right” way to handle the disease.
“I feel like I'm not very inspiring,” she admitted. “If someone listening to me goes, 'Oh my God, I feel that way, and I feel like I'm not doing it right.' There is no doing MS right.”
Sigler, reflecting on her own journey, praised Applegate for her honesty. “They were feelings that I didn’t think I deserved to feel... So for her to express herself like this, I admire.”