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Christina Applegate said on her podcast that a doctor told her the multiple sclerosis diagnosis she announced in 2021 was incorrect. She says she still has symptoms and needs a wheelchair to get to medical appointments, but has not publicly explained what her doctor now believes is causing them. Neurologists quoted in the report say MS diagnosis involves multiple findings and can be difficult to establish.
Actor Christina Applegate said this week that a doctor told her the multiple sclerosis diagnosis she announced in 2021 was incorrect, leaving her uncertain about what is causing her symptoms. On her podcast, “MeSsy,” she said she still experiences symptoms she associates with MS and uses a wheelchair to get to medical appointments.
“I’m back at square one where I don’t know what’s going on with me,” Applegate said on “MeSsy,” which she co-hosts with actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has MS. Applegate said she cannot walk from her car to a doctor’s office and still has, in her words, “every symptom of someone with MS.” Her account describes her experience; the report does not identify the doctor or provide medical records confirming the change in diagnosis.
Applegate also spoke about the personal effect of the news. She said she felt she had “let everybody down,” given her public advocacy alongside Sigler for people living with MS. She described the situation as “very unnerving” and confusing. The comments were reported by MedPage Today on October 21, citing the podcast.
Neurologist Marisa McGinley of the Cleveland Clinic told MedPage Today that MS misdiagnosis is reported in research, though estimates vary. Some studies put it below 10%, while others report figures close to 20%, she said. Those numbers are not a single established rate: Bruce Bebo of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society cautioned that research estimates may be shaped by which patients are referred to specialty centers.
Why an MS Diagnosis Can Change
Applegate’s account highlights the uncertainty patients can face when symptoms persist but a diagnosis is reconsidered. A diagnosis can shape decisions about care, treatment, and how a person understands their health. In Applegate’s case, her public statement does not establish a new cause for her symptoms, but it shows that the uncertainty remains significant for her.
Clinicians quoted by MedPage Today described a tension in MS diagnosis: identifying the disease early can allow patients to access care and disease-modifying therapies sooner, but speed cannot replace diagnostic accuracy. Bebo said, “we can’t sacrifice speed for accuracy.” This is a general point from the medical sources, not a description of what happened in Applegate’s individual evaluation.
wheelchair for medical appointments
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How Clinicians Assess MS
There is no single test that by itself establishes MS, McGinley told MedPage Today. Diagnosis involves assessing symptoms alongside other evidence and considering alternative explanations. Bebo compared the process to “putting a puzzle together,” noting that symptoms and MRI abnormalities can also occur in conditions other than MS.
The report says the McDonald diagnostic criteria were updated in 2024. An MRI showing lesions typical of MS is required under the criteria described in the article; in some situations, markers such as the central vein sign or paramagnetic rim lesions can help increase diagnostic specificity. These are points about current diagnostic practice, not details disclosed about Applegate’s own tests.
Bebo told the publication that MS affects women more often than men and is often diagnosed in early adulthood, between ages 20 and 40. He also said treatments are available for relapsing-remitting inflammatory MS. The report does not say whether Applegate received a particular treatment or what care she is pursuing now.
““There’s no single test that equals an MS diagnosis.””
— Marisa McGinley, Cleveland Clinic neurologist, to MedPage Today
What Applegate Has Not Disclosed
The available report does not name the doctor who revised Applegate’s diagnosis, explain what evidence led to that decision, or state whether she is seeking additional testing or another medical opinion. It also does not identify an alternative diagnosis. Applegate’s report of ongoing symptoms is her own account; the information provided does not establish their cause.
It remains unclear whether the doctor considers MS fully ruled out, whether Applegate’s assessment is still in progress, or what care she is receiving. The range of misdiagnosis estimates cited by MedPage Today also should not be treated as a precise rate for all patients, since the studies differ and may draw on specialty-center referrals.
Further Medical Clarity Awaited
Applegate has said she does not yet know what is causing her symptoms. The report provides no timeline for further testing, a revised diagnosis, or additional public comments from her doctors. Any next step in her care has not been disclosed, so the cause of her symptoms and the status of her diagnosis remain unresolved in the public account.
For now, the confirmed development is limited to Applegate’s statement that a doctor told her the earlier MS diagnosis was incorrect. More information from Applegate or her medical team would be needed to clarify the clinical reasoning and what comes next.
Key Questions
What did Christina Applegate say about her MS diagnosis?
On her podcast “MeSsy,” Applegate said a doctor told her the MS diagnosis she announced in 2021 was incorrect. She said she remains unsure what is causing her symptoms.
Does Applegate have a new diagnosis?
The report does not provide an alternative diagnosis. Applegate said she was back at square one and did not know what was going on with her.
What symptoms and mobility problems did she describe?
Applegate said she still has symptoms she associates with MS and uses a wheelchair to get from her car to medical appointments because she cannot walk that distance.
Why can multiple sclerosis be misdiagnosed?
Neurologist Marisa McGinley told MedPage Today that there is no single test that establishes MS. Diagnosis involves weighing symptoms and other findings, including MRI results, against possible alternative causes.
How common is MS misdiagnosis?
Estimates cited by MedPage Today vary: some studies report a rate below 10%, while others report figures close to 20%. Bruce Bebo cautioned that study populations, including referrals to specialty centers, can affect those estimates.
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