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Christina Applegate Reveals Multiple Sclerosis Misdiagnosis: Why The Disease Is Hard To Diagnose

Christina Applegate Reveals Multiple Sclerosis Misdiagnosis: Why The Disease Is Hard To Diagnose commons.wikimedia

Emmy-winning American actor <span>Christina Applegate</span> has in a shocking news revealed that she does not have <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health/multiple-sclerosis-ms" data-type="tilCustomLink">multiple sclerosis</a> (MS), despite continuing to experience debilitating symptoms since her 2021 diagnosis.

<span>Applegate</span>, 54, shared the news in an episode of her podcast <em>MeSsy</em>, co-hosted with fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler and posted to YouTube on Tuesday.

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

Applegate had gradually withdrawn from public life after her MS diagnosis in 2021, as she navigated the physical and emotional toll of the condition. 

She has also become an advocate for MS awareness and chronicled her struggles in an emotional memoir published in March.

<h2>Christina Applegate Recalls Learning About Her Misdiagnosis</h2>

<strong>Also read</strong>: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/why-multiple-sclerosis-increases-emotional-burden-for-women-article-153778507" data-type="tilCustomLink">Why Multiple Sclerosis Increases Emotional Burden Among Women</a>

Applegate recalled a visit to her doctor when she was told she did not have MS.

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

Despite the news, Applegate said her <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/parenting/to-be-a-mother-with-multiple-sclerosis-actor-christina-applegate-gets-candid-about-her-diagnosis-and-how-it-changed-motherhood-article-152393561" data-type="tilCustomLink">symptoms have not improved</a>.

“I haven’t gotten better. I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this. Nothing magical happened when she said, ‘You don’t have MS.’ Nothing magical happened.”

Applegate also described feeling confused about her condition and the uncertainty surrounding her symptoms.

“It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down. It’s this weird feeling of like I became this, you and I, the poster children for MS. Everything that I was doing, I had a fucking reason as to why my day sucked every day.

“And now I don’t have a reason. It’s very unnerving and it’s really confusing for me.”

<h2>What Is <span rel="noindex">Multiple Sclerosis</span>?</h2>

<strong>Read More</strong>: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/selena-gomez-says-vaping-changed-her-voice-how-e-cigarettes-affect-vocal-cords-article-156368923" data-type="tilCustomLink">Selena Gomez Says Vaping Changed Her Voice: How E-Cigarettes Affect Vocal Cords</a>

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.

MS is also an immune-mediated disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers. Damage to myelin can disrupt nerve signals, causing symptoms that vary from person to person.

These may include muscle weakness, fatigue, numbness, coordination problems, vision changes and memory difficulties.

MS is commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, although it can develop earlier or later. There is no cure, but treatments can help manage symptoms and slow disease progression. Some people experience relapses with periods of improvement, while others develop progressively worsening disability.

<h2>Why Is Multiple Sclerosis Hard To Diagnose?</h2>

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Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, joined Applegate and Sigler on the podcast to discuss MS misdiagnosis.

Kaisey said misdiagnoses are “fairly common” because there is no single test that can definitively confirm or rule out MS.

“We don’t have one single test for MS. It’s not like we have something like a pregnancy test that says, ‘Yes. You have it.’ ‘No. You don’t.’ It’s a list of criteria.”

Kaisey said nearly 20% of people diagnosed with MS may not actually have the disease, <em>People.com reported</em>.

“Almost one in five of these people who’d been told they had MS, some for decades, didn’t actually have it. And a majority of them were on medication to treat their MS,” she said.

MS diagnosis typically involves assessing symptoms, a neurological examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, when appropriate, additional tests to rule out other conditions. 

Because several disorders can cause similar symptoms, clinicians must evaluate the findings against established diagnostic criteria.

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Emmy-winning American actor Christina Applegate has in a shocking news revealed that she does not have multiple sclerosis (MS), despite continuing to experience debilitating symptoms since her 2021 diagnosis.Applegate, 54, shared the news in an episode of her podcast MeSsy, co-hosted with fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler and posted to YouTube on Tuesday.“I’m back at square one – that I don’t know what’s going on with me,” she said through tears.Applegate had gradually withdrawn from public life after her MS diagnosis in 2021, as she navigated the physical and emotional toll of the condition. She has also become an advocate for MS awareness and chronicled her struggles in an emotional memoir published in March.Christina Applegate Recalls Learning About Her MisdiagnosisAlso read: Why Multiple Sclerosis Increases Emotional Burden Among WomenApplegate recalled a visit to her doctor when she was told she did not have MS.“She came into my room and said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS,’” Applegate recalled through tears. “I was, like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.”Despite the news, Applegate said her symptoms have not improved.“I haven’t gotten better. I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this. Nothing magical happened when she said, ‘You don’t have MS.’ Nothing magical happened.”Applegate also described feeling confused about her condition and the uncertainty surrounding her symptoms.“It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down. It’s this weird feeling of like I became this, you and I, the poster children for MS. Everything that I was doing, I had a fucking reason as to why my day sucked every day.“And now I don’t have a reason. It’s very unnerving and it’s really confusing for me.”What Is Multiple Sclerosis?Read More: Selena Gomez Says Vaping Changed Her Voice: How E-Cigarettes Affect Vocal CordsAccording to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological condition that affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves.MS is also an immune-mediated disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibers. Damage to myelin can disrupt nerve signals, causing symptoms that vary from person to person.These may include muscle weakness, fatigue, numbness, coordination problems, vision changes and memory difficulties.MS is commonly diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, although it can develop earlier or later. There is no cure, but treatments can help manage symptoms and slow disease progression. Some people experience relapses with periods of improvement, while others develop progressively worsening disability.Why Is Multiple Sclerosis Hard To Diagnose?   Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, joined Applegate and Sigler on the podcast to discuss MS misdiagnosis.Kaisey said misdiagnoses are “fairly common” because there is no single test that can definitively confirm or rule out MS.“We don’t have one single test for MS. It’s not like we have something like a pregnancy test that says, ‘Yes. You have it.’ ‘No. You don’t.’ It’s a list of criteria.”Kaisey said nearly 20% of people diagnosed with MS may not actually have the disease, People.com reported.“Almost one in five of these people who’d been told they had MS, some for decades, didn’t actually have it. And a majority of them were on medication to treat their MS,” she said.MS diagnosis typically involves assessing symptoms, a neurological examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, when appropriate, additional tests to rule out other conditions. Because several disorders can cause similar symptoms, clinicians must evaluate the findings against established diagnostic criteria.

christina applegate reveals multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis: why the disease is hard to diagnose

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