Understanding Multiple Sclerosis and Its Symptoms

Several actresses have multiple sclerosis, including Selma Blair and Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who cohosts a podcast called MESSY. MS is a long-term condition in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective covering around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. It sounds grueling, and the symptoms help explain why. They can include fatigue, numbness or tingling, muscle weakness or stiffness, vision problems, difficulty with balance or walking, and trouble concentrating or remembering things. Christina Applegate became one of the most prominent public figures discussing life with an MS diagnosis and has described several of these symptoms. For me, she’s also the actress who brought us movies like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (1991), The Big Hit (1998), The Sweetest Thing (2002), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), Vacation (2015), Bad Moms (2016), and A Bad Moms Christmas (2017). That connection is what makes this story personal.

Applegate’s Continuing Health Struggles

Like many people, I took her reported MS diagnosis at face value. Her symptoms seemed consistent with the condition, though symptoms alone don’t establish a diagnosis. Christina Applegate now says her doctor told her she doesn’t have MS. But that hasn’t made her health struggles disappear. She says her symptoms remain debilitating and have worsened in some respects. They include severe walking and balance difficulties that sometimes require a wheelchair for medical appointments, numbness and tingling in her limbs and toes, pain, exhaustion, and unpredictable symptoms that have required her to use diapers.

The Challenges of Diagnosing MS

One finding caught my attention: a 2019 study at two specialist MS centers found that nearly one in five referred patients with an existing MS diagnosis had been misdiagnosed. The study included 241 patients, with misdiagnosis rates of 17% at Cedars-Sinai and 19% at UCLA. That distinction matters. These were referred patients at two centers—not a measure of all MS diagnoses. Applegate says her doctor told her she had also been misdiagnosed. She said her doctor stopped an infusion treatment and monitored her B cells. When her B-cell count didn’t change, her diagnosis came under further review. Her original testing, she said, included MRIs and a spinal tap, and scans showed lesions in her brain. She now says her doctor told her she doesn’t have MS, while the cause of her symptoms remains under more study and scrutiny.

This is where the medical details matter more than assumptions. MS can be difficult to diagnose because other conditions can cause similar symptoms and MRI findings. No single test can diagnose it on its own. Doctors apply diagnostic criteria using medical history, a neurological examination, MRI findings, and sometimes spinal fluid analysis and other tests to rule out alternative causes.

The symptoms mentioned above, along with bowel or bladder problems and muscle stiffness and spasms, can be signs of MS. Having them, however, doesn’t mean you have MS. I’m writing this to raise awareness, not to encourage anyone to diagnose themselves. If these symptoms concern you, speak with a doctor.

A Personal Connection to Applegate’s Career

I hope she gets answers. Her movies were part of my life as a younger man, and that’s the connection I keep coming back to. I knew she was in Married… with Children, which ran from 1987 to 1997, but I wasn’t much of a sitcom watcher back then. Not that I never watched them—reruns of Three’s Company were part of my upbringing. I got to know Applegate through Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. Then came Anchorman. Who can forget her opposite Ron Burgundy? She absolutely shone in that role.

She’s entertained people for decades. To me, giving someone a good laugh and a break from the daily grind is no small thing. That’s what her work has meant to me, and it’s why reading about her health struggles concerns me. As a fan, I’m upset by what she’s going through. I'm concerned about the countless others who suffer from this pain and any neurological condition. It's heartbreaking. This piece is my way of turning that concern into a conversation about MS awareness.

Awareness and Compassion Beyond March

MS Awareness Month is in March, but I don’t think this conversation should wait until then. Applegate’s story is what brought me to the subject. The broader concern is our health, our future, and the people living with symptoms they’re still trying to understand.

For me, it comes back to the person behind the movies that made us laugh. I hope Christina Applegate gets the answers and support she needs. We can appreciate what she’s given us without expecting another role on screen. Her health matters more. Awareness shouldn’t have to wait for March, and compassion shouldn’t either.

Further Discussion from The View

Key Takeaways

· MS can affect movement, balance, vision, energy, and concentration, but these symptoms alone do not confirm a diagnosis.

· Diagnosing MS requires a combination of medical history, neurological examination, MRI findings, and sometimes additional tests—not a single test.

· The 2019 study cited in this article found misdiagnosis in 17% and 19% of referred patients at two specialist centers, not across all MS diagnoses.

· Uncertainty about a diagnosis doesn’t make ongoing, debilitating symptoms any less real.

· Applegate’s movies make this personal for me, but the message is bigger than one person: awareness and compassion for everyone facing similar health struggles.

· MS awareness should extend beyond March, with health and support taking priority over expectations of another screen role.

Sources and Further Reading

· National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Multiple sclerosis overview, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

· Cedars-Sinai: Getting the diagnosis right with multiple sclerosis

· PubMed: Original 2019 study of MS misdiagnosis at two academic referral centers — The study found misdiagnosis in 17% of referred patients at Cedars-Sinai and 19% at UCLA; these findings do not establish a universal misdiagnosis rate for all MS diagnoses.

· Associated Press via PBS News: Applegate’s announcement about her MS misdiagnosis and continuing symptoms

· CBS News: Christina Applegate reveals she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis

· Mount Sinai: How Is Multiple Sclerosis Diagnosed? An MS Expert Explains

· Multiple Sclerosis Association of America: Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month 2026

Health note: This article is provided for general information and MS awareness and is not medical advice. Anyone experiencing concerning neurological symptoms should consult a qualified healthcare professional.