Christina Applegate tests for lupus after a stunning MS misdiagnosis
Years after publicly sharing her health battle, the actress is back at square one while doctors evaluate other conditions that mimic the disorder.
Christina Applegate revealed that she is undergoing medical testing for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Lyme disease as doctors try to determine the cause of her ongoing mobility challenges. The actress shared the update during the November 3 episode of her podcast, MeSsy.
The search for answers follows her announcement two weeks earlier that she does not have multiple sclerosis. As reported by the Evening Standard and TV Insider, Applegate has not received an official diagnosis for any specific condition as testing continues.
Starting from square one
Applegate explained on the podcast that her medical team is reviewing a wide range of potential disorders that present with similar neurological markers. Her physical difficulties continue, and she still relies on a wheelchair and daily assistance to get around.
“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 episode. “You’ve got RA and you’ve got lupus and Lyme disease and all these things that can mimic MS.”
She added that the process requires patience: “So now I’m being tested for all that stuff, slowly but surely.”
Processing an identity shift
Applegate also spoke candidly about the emotional fallout of discovering her original diagnosis was wrong. Having spent years speaking openly about the condition, she admitted to wrestling with self-doubt.
“I lived with as a person with MS for almost six years,” Applegate said. “It’s hard for me to try to shake that identity because it’s been my identity for so long.”
She admitted that she felt like a “fraud” when her doctor gave her the news, though she confirmed she intends to remain active and connected with the MS community. Her podcast co-host, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, previously reassured Applegate on the show, telling her that her transparency and advocacy had not misled anyone.
How the diagnosis was reviewed
Applegate first shared her health battle in August 2021 after experiencing numbness and balance trouble while filming the third season of Dead to Me. For years, she managed her care under the belief that she had multiple sclerosis.
The path toward a re-evaluation began when physicians paused her regular infusion treatments to monitor her B-cell responses. When tests showed no change, doctors conducted an in-depth clinical review using updated diagnostic criteria, which led to the conclusion that she had been misdiagnosed.
Applegate noted on MeSsy that she remains open to guidance from others who live with similar chronic illnesses. “If there’s something I can be doing to feel better, because I don’t have the stigma of MS or I don’t have, you know, the criteria of that, whatever that is, please let me know. I am wanting the advice right now.”
