Christina Applegate Tested for Lupus and Lyme Disease After MS Misdiagnosis

Christina Applegate Faces New Medical Testing After Multiple Sclerosis Misdiagnosis

Christina Applegate is undergoing medical testing for lupus, Lyme disease, and rheumatoid arthritis after discovering she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, rte.ie reported. The 54-year-old actress, who announced her original autoimmune diagnosis in August 2021, revealed on her podcast that she is essentially back at square one while doctors investigate overlapping conditions that mimic MS. Known for her roles in Bad Moms, The Sweetest Thing, and Married with Children, the Emmy winner noted she feels like a fraud after living with the MS label for nearly six years.

The health update brings new physical challenges for the Dead to Me star, who shared that her mobility has deteriorated significantly. Speaking on the MeSsy podcast, which she co-hosts with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate detailed the daily struggles of managing an undiagnosed illness that leaves her needing a walker at her bedside and taking ten minutes to get out of bed. The actress, who previously suggested her role in the final season of Dead to Me would be her last, noted that she now struggles to move off her pillow and stand up, a decline she had never experienced before.

Podcast Revelations and the Search for Answers

Applegate broke down in tears during an October podcast episode when she shared the news of her misdiagnosis, which was discovered through new medical technology. She explained to listeners that she is systematically testing for sister diseases that share similar neurological and inflammatory markers with MS. We’re going in to square one, just doing some testing and going one by one of the sister-of diseases, Applegate said on the program, according to rte.ie. You’ve got RA and you’ve got lupus and Lyme disease and all these things that can mimic MS. So now I’m being tested for all that stuff, slowly but surely.

While the actress took a seven-month break from the program before returning on October 21, emergency personnel were recently dispatched to Applegate’s home for a person experiencing abdominal pain, though it remains unclear whether the patient was Applegate herself. Despite the mounting uncertainty, Applegate emphasized that her physical symptoms continue to worsen rather than improve. She admitted that the revelation was not the relief many might expect, explaining: It’s a mindfuck, for sure, and describing herself as being in a state of shock.

Identity Struggles and Support for the MS Community

While she acknowledged the psychological difficulty of shaking an identity she held for half a decade, she reassured her listeners that her bond with the chronic illness community remains unbroken. She spoke directly to her co-host, Sigler, who was diagnosed with MS in 2001.

Even though I don’t have this disease, I’ve fallen in love with everyone that we know, our listeners, our friends that have MS, Applegate told Sigler on the MeSsy podcast, adding that she considers the listeners my people and intends to remain an advocate. I’m still your warrior, and I’m still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever. Despite not having MS. I still feel like part of this community. No matter what, I love you.