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Christina Applegate reveals she's being tested for a different condition after MS misdiagnosis
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Christina Applegate has shared that she is currently undergoing testing for lupus and Lyme disease after learning that her initial diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was incorrect.
The 54-year-old actress spent five years believing her severe physical symptoms stemmed from MS, before physicians recently determined she does not have the condition.
The news has prompted medical specialists to begin a completely new diagnostic process. While the previous label has been removed, the Dead to Me star continues to cope with severe mobility challenges and chronic physical pain, leaving her without a definitive explanation for her ongoing illness.
Applegate discussed the recent development on Tuesday during an episode of her MeSsy podcast, which she co-hosts with actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler.
She confirmed that medical providers are exploring several alternative diagnoses, including rheumatoid arthritis, to pinpoint the root cause of her health struggles.
Searching for answers after a false diagnosis
During the podcast discussion, Applegate explained that physicians are running a comprehensive series of laboratory evaluations to systematically investigate other autoimmune and chronic disorders.
She stated that several separate conditions share overlapping characteristics with multiple sclerosis, creating difficulties during initial examinations.
"We're going into square one, just doing some testing and going one by one of kind of the sister diseases to MS," she said.
"You've got RA [rheumatoid arthritis] and you've got lupus and Lyme disease and all these things that kind of can mimic MS. So now I'm being tested for all that stuff slowly but surely."
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune condition that can damage joints, skin, kidneys, and other organs throughout the body. Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by infected ticks that can lead to neurological issues, fatigue, and joint pain. Rheumatoid arthritis primarily causes chronic inflammation in the joints.
Applegate has not received a formal diagnosis for any of these conditions, and doctors have not yet identified what is causing her persistent limitations.
Applegate's daily physical hurdles
Applegate first announced in August 2021 that she had received an MS diagnosis. In the years that followed, the actress, who shares 15-year-old daughter Sadie with husband Martyn LeNoble, spoke publicly about her mobility issues, chronic pain, and depression, serving as an advocate for individuals managing the disease.
When a doctor recently delivered the updated finding, the response was unexpected. Recalling the appointment, Christina said her doctor had told her: "Congratulations, you don't have MS."
Instead of feeling relief, she found the update deeply troubling because her physical capabilities have not changed. She stated that she continues to require a wheelchair to attend medical appointments because walking from a car to the clinic is too difficult.
In an update last week, she explained that simply getting out of bed can take ten minutes, and she relies on a walker next to her bed to reach the bathroom. Her upcoming schedule includes a consultation with a rheumatologist.
The change in status has also created emotional complications regarding her sense of self. Applegate addressed the psychological difficulty of setting aside an identity she carried for years.
"I lived as a person with MS for almost six years. So... it's hard for me to try to shake that identity because it's been my identity for so long," she said.
"If there's something I can be doing to feel better, because I don't have the stigma of MS or I don't have, you know, the criteria of that, whatever that is, please let me know. I am wanting the advice right now. Before it was like, no."
Maintaining ties to the patient community
Applegate previously expressed worry that discovering her misdiagnosis might feel like letting down people facing the disease. Despite the change in her personal chart, she made it clear that her dedication to the community remains intact.
"I'll never leave this community. I've made so many lifelong friends and I care so deeply about everybody that we represent and that I represent," she said. "I'm still always going to be a part of it in one way or another."