Christina Applegate says multiple sclerosis diagnosis was wrong

Christina Applegate says doctors have told her she never had multiple sclerosis, reversing a diagnosis she received in 2021. But the symptoms that have limited her mobility have not gone away, and she says she is still searching for an explanation.

“You don’t get misdiagnosed and then all of the sudden I’m better,” Applegate said in a two-part episode of her MeSsy podcast released Tuesday. “If anything, I’ve gotten worse.”

Applegate, 54, and co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler returned to the podcast after a break Applegate said she took to process the news. She recalled being in tears when her doctor told her the diagnosis was wrong.

“She came into my room and said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS,’” Applegate said. “I was, like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.”

A few years ago, Applegate said, her doctor suggested stopping an infusion treatment to see how her body responded. Her B-cell count neither rose nor fell after treatment ended, she said, prompting doctors to review her diagnosis. Applegate said her initial evaluation had included a spinal tap and MRI scans that showed lesions on her brain.

Applegate said she still has debilitating symptoms that affect her daily life and mobility. She expects doctors to begin another investigation next week into what has been happening since 2021.

“I’m back at square one where I don’t know what’s going on with me,” she said.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system. Symptoms differ among patients, and its progression cannot be predicted. Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center who appeared on the podcast, said nearly one in five people told they have MS do not actually have it.

“It’s not like we have something like a pregnancy test that says ‘yes, you have it. No, you don’t,’” Kaisey said. “It’s a list of criteria.”

Applegate publicly disclosed her MS diagnosis in August 2021. She later became an outspoken advocate for people with the disease. On Tuesday, she said learning the diagnosis was wrong made her feel “like I let everybody down.”

Her symptoms have affected both her work and her daily life. Applegate has previously described numbness, problems with balance and tingling in her limbs. She told The New York Times in a 2022 interview that she could not walk without a cane and used a wheelchair while filming the Netflix series “Dead to Me.” The show’s script was adjusted to accommodate her symptoms, according to CBS News.

CBS News reported that Applegate said in 2023 that her symptoms might force her to stop acting on camera. She said Tuesday that she attends physical therapy three times a week. In a 2024 podcast episode, Applegate described being in a “real depression,” the BBC reported.

“It’s very unnerving and it’s really confusing for me,” she said of the reversal.