Christina Applegate says she still plans to be a “warrior” for the multiple sclerosis (MS) community after revealing she was misdiagnosed with the autoimmune disorder.
“You guys are my people,” Applegate said on Tuesday’s episode of her podcast MeSsy, which she co-hosts with actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, who has been public about her own battle with MS.
“I’m still your warrior, and I’m still going to speak out on your behalf forever and ever,” she continued. “I still feel like part of this community and no matter what, I love you. I love you, that’s all.”
Applegate, 54, first publicly announced in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS. She revealed on last week’s podcast episode that a doctor recently told her does not have the disorder, which causes the immune system to attack the cells in the central nervous system, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Applegate said at the time that she felt like she was “back at square one” and felt like her health was worsening.
On Tuesday’s episode, Applegate provided more of a window into the health struggles she says she’s facing, especially with her mobility.
“I actually timed it today. It took me 10 minutes to be able to move off my pillow and get out of the bed and stand up, at which point I almost couldn’t walk to the bathroom and now a walker is sitting next to my bed because of what’s going on,” Applegate said. “I don’t know what’s going on. You know, this is what I’m still living with.”
She continued, “And I never had that before. I was able to sit up and stuff, so this is what I said when things are getting worse, or they’re just new.”
The Dead to Me actress said she has received lots of support following her announcement about her misdiagnosis and is continuing to seek medical care, adding, “I can’t get my hopes up.”
“I don’t understand what the heck’s going on, right?” she said. “So I’m sure that that news coming to people, that’s an adjustment. It’s all an adjustment for everybody.”
Applegate — who confirmed she plans to continue to cohost the MeSsy podcast — said she is glad to raise awareness about MS and misdiagnosis but added, “I never wanted to cause, like, a hysteria in any way.”
Dr. Marwa Kaisey, a board-certified neurologist and associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said on a previous MeSsy podcast episode that about 20% of patients diagnosed with MS don’t have the condition.
Doctors say there’s no single test that can diagnose MS. That determination depends upon multiple factors, including a patient’s symptoms and various test results, all of which can change over time. Additionally, improper application of diagnostic criteria, and that fact that MS symptoms can resemble those of other conditions, can sometimes lead to misdiagnosis.
ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
