‘Married with Children’ star says her doctor told her she was misdiagnosed with MS

Actress Christina Applegate revealed Monday that her doctor has told her she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a condition she publicly announced in 2021. Speaking on her podcast "MeSsy" with co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who also has MS, Applegate said the news has left her back at square one without a clear diagnosis.

Despite the revised medical opinion, Applegate said she still has "every symptom of someone with MS," noting she still requires a wheelchair to move from her car to a doctor's office. The Emmy-winning actor described the situation as "very unnerving" and "really confusing," adding that she feels she has let down the MS community for whom she and Sigler have become prominent advocates.

Applegate has been candid in recent months about the severity of her symptoms, which have forced her to use diapers and scoot down stairs on her butt. In her memoir "You with the Sad Eyes," she wrote that her life has "in some ways shrunk to the size of my California king."

Medical experts note there is no single test for MS; diagnosis typically involves ruling out other causes and can take years. Most autoimmune diseases in adults are not caused by a specific gene defect but rather a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental triggers such as infections or pollutants.

Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal