Dead to Me superstar Christina Applegate, 52, has talked about five “weird” multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms she ignored before being diagnosed with it in 2021.
Applegate often talks about her experience living with MS and dedicates her time and efforts to taking care of her health and how she’s doing. Accepting her diagnosis can be a task for her at times, but she does her best to share her experience with the condition.
More about multiple sclerosis
Embed from Getty ImagesAccording to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune means that the body’s immune system is attacking the body itself. In the case of MS, the immune system is found attacking the brain and spinal cord. Its symptoms usually begin in young adults between the ages of 20 and 40.
Applegate opens up about MS
Embed from Getty ImagesApplegate was on SiriusXM’s This Life of Mine with James Corden where she opened up about the weird symptoms she experienced before getting the diagnosis.
She also talks about her MS in her podcast MesSy, which she co-hosts with actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has also been living with MS for over 20 years.
She thought she was ‘dehydrated’ or it was ‘too hot’
Embed from Getty ImagesApplegate shared with James Corden that she kept blaming her symptoms on the weather or dehydration.
She experienced “balance issues” and “speech issues.” In addition, her hands would shake, and her “knee would go out” when playing tennis, which was unlike her.
Things kept getting worse
Embed from Getty ImagesIn the winter, her “toes got numb” and she felt weird muscle spasms, which she ignored, as well. It wasn’t until things got to a debilitating point that she decided to address the issue. She was nearing the filming of the final season of Dead to Me and she couldn’t even walk up the steps to her trailer.
The day she got the diagnosis
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen things got too bad, Applegate went for tests and an MRI scan of her brain. The doctor later called her while at work to give her the results.
She left work early so she could get on a Zoom call with her doctor and when she did, her doctor looked at her and said: “I’m so sorry.”
Applegate’s reaction to the news
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen Applegate was shown a picture of her brain with “like 30 lesions all over,” she kept saying, “Please don’t tell me this.”
She informed the production crew that it was MS and work was shut down for the week. Filming wasn’t an easy task afterward, but they managed to finish filming despite her MS.
‘Dead to Me’ may be her last acting gig
Embed from Getty ImagesApplegate spoke to Variety in 2023 about how MS has made it hard for her to act. However, this is not the end for Applegate.
She still intends to be involved with the entertainment industry whether it be through production or doing voiceover work.
MS wasn’t Applegate’s first health challenge
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Dead to Me superstar is no stranger to health challenges. She had breast cancer in 2008 and had a double mastectomy in its wake. She also had her ovarian and fallopian tubes removed in 2017 to avoid the risk of recurrence.
Applegate sees a dark future with MS
Embed from Getty ImagesOn her podcast, she said that MS is worse for her than cancer. At least with cancer, there is an end to it, whether it be with surgery or chemo.
With MS, however, there is no cure for the condition, and “either you’re gonna die from it or you’re gonna die in a car crash.”
Other Symptoms Applegate faced
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Applegate revealed in her podcast that she’s had a relapse where she experienced “intense pain” in her legs and “insane tingling.” She also revealed that she hadn’t slept for 24 hours because of discomfort in her eye.
She felt that her eye would “burst out” and this symptom could be a symptom of possible damage to the optic nerve. Life with MS is not easy for Applegate but she still manages to pull through despite the hurdles she’s facing.
