The Dead to Me star was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021
Christina Applegate has opened up about symptoms she began experiencing which she didn’t initially realize were a sign of multiple sclerosis.
The Dead To Me star was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021 and has been open about her experiences with the condition in a bid to raise important awareness.
Multiple sclerosis is ‘a long-lasting (chronic) disease of the central nervous system’, John Hopkins Medicine explains.
Its website continues: “It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder, a condition in which the body attacks itself by mistake. MS is an unpredictable disease that affects people differently. Some people with MS may have only mild symptoms.
“Others may lose their ability to see clearly, write, speak, or walk when communication between the brain and other parts of the body becomes disrupted.”
And since revealing her diagnosis, Applegate has been open in speaking out about some of the ‘weird’ symptoms she experienced – not realizing at the time they were a sign of MS.
Christina Applegate experienced symptoms while filming ‘Dead to Me’ (Netflix)
Tingling and numbness
In an ABC News interview, Applegate told Robin Roberts that there was one particular symptom which began ‘in the early part of 2021’.
“It was literally just a tingling on my toes,” she said.
And this symptom added to another which the actor didn’t realize was a potential sign of MS, too.
Applegate was diagnosed with MS in 2021 ( John Salangsang/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images)
Muscle weakness
In an episode of her MeSy podcast with Jamie Lynn-Sigler on December 10, Applegate recalled running across a field while shooting a scene for the pilot episode of Netflix series Dead to Me.
“I remember falling that day,” Applegate recalled. “Hi, first sign of MS!”
She also told SiriusXM’s This Life of Mine with James Corden that things ‘just started to get weirder and weirder’ from there and by the time the last season was being shot, she couldn’t ‘even walk up the steps’ to her trailer.
Applegate experienced muscle weakness (Netflix)
Lack of balance
In an interview with The New York Times in 2022, Applegate revealed she found herself struggling to keep herself balanced during the filming of a dance sequence for Netflix series Dead to Me.
However, rather than being concerned over why she couldn’t seem to not wobble around or stand steadily on her feet, the actor recalls being frustrated with herself and simply pushing herself harder.
She said: “I wish I had paid attention. But who was I to know?”
Creator of Dead to Me, Liz Feldman, also added: “I remember you losing your balance a couple of times but it was very hard to figure out.
“I remember one time it was like really late at night, we’d been shooting probably 14 or 15 hours, it seemed completely reasonable that anybody would be collapsing.”
Walking barefoot helps Applegate with her balance (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Sharp pains and aches
On an episode of her podcast shared on November 5 earlier this year, Applegate revealed she experienced intense ‘pain’ in her body – which sometimes leaves her ‘laying in bed screaming’.
“I put my feet on the ground and they’re hurting, like, extraordinarily bad to the touch,” she added.
And the pain has since intensified, with the actor also revealing she ‘can’t even pick up [her] phone sometimes’.
She added: “I’ll, like, try to go get my phone or get my remote to turn on the TV or sometimes, I can’t even hold them. I can’t open bottles now.”
Discomfort in eyes
Applegate notes she also experienced discomfort in her eyes which she googled and found out ‘can be a symptom of MS’.
“It could be some kind of possible damage to the optic nerve in my eye,” she added, revealing: “I couldn’t sleep because every time I would close my eye, my eye would start doing some crazy s**t.”
