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Christina Applegate never had MS: how often multiple sclerosis is misdiagnosed | The Receipts - Dataspheres AI

Christina Applegate never had MS: how often multiple sclerosis is misdiagnosed WTF AMERICA Christina Applegate never had MS: how often multiple sclerosis i...

Christina Applegate never had MS: how often multiple sclerosis is misdiagnosed WTF AMERICA Christina Applegate never had MS: how often multiple sclerosis is misdiagnosed October 20, 2026 Welcome to WTF America. Never MS Never MS On October 20, actor Christina Applegate said doctors told her she never had multiple sclerosis, five years after her diagnosis. Her symptoms are real and getting worse. And she is far from the only one. NBC News and CBS News, Oct 20 2026: Applegate, 54, on her podcast MeSsy. Google Trends Oct 20: 'christina applegate' rank 4, 50K+. Who is Christina Applegate? Who is Christina Applegate? — An actor known for Married... with Children, Dead to Me and the Anchorman films — An Emmy winner, with eight nominations — In 2021 she announced she had multiple sclerosis; by 2024 she walked with a cane NBC News Oct 20: eight Emmy nominations, won in 2003 (Friends guest role); MS disclosed 2021; 2024 Emmys standing ovation using a cane. What she said What she said — On her podcast MeSsy, released October 20, co-hosted with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has MS — Her doctor told her she does not have MS — 'I had every symptom of someone with MS. Every single one.' NBC News: 'Congratulations. You don't have MS.' 'I had every symptom of someone with MS. Every single one.' CBS: 'I was, like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.' How she found out How she found out — In 2021 she was diagnosed after a spinal tap and MRIs that showed brain lesions — Her doctor paused an infusion treatment to watch her B cells, a kind of immune cell — The B cells didn't change, and the doctor concluded it was never MS CBS News Oct 20: spinal tap and MRIs showing brain lesions; doctor took her off an infusion to see how her B cells reacted; the count did not increase or decrease. Where she is now Where she is now — Her symptoms continue: numbness, tingling and trouble with balance — She spent months in the hospital earlier this year and does physical therapy three times a week — Her doctors start looking for the real cause next week: 'I'm back at square one' CBS: symptoms numbness, off-balance, tingling; physical therapy three times a week; doctors start next week. NBC: months in hospital earlier this year; 'I'm back at square one.' What is MS? What is MS? — Multiple sclerosis is a disease where the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord — Symptoms differ from person to person: numbness, balance, vision, fatigue — Nearly 1 million Americans live with an MS diagnosis; the cause is unknown National MS Society (via CBS): the immune system attacks the central nervous system; symptoms vary; cause unknown. Wallin et al., Neurology 2019 (National MS Society-supported): nearly 1 million U.S. adults. Why it's hard to diagnose Why it's hard to diagnose — There is no single test for MS — Doctors combine symptoms, MRI scans and spinal fluid tests, using rules called the McDonald criteria — Spots on a brain MRI can also come from migraine, aging and other conditions — Cedars-Sinai neurologist Dr. Marwa Kaisey: almost one in five people told they have MS don't CBS: Kaisey on MeSsy, 'didn't actually have it', no single test. Kaisey et al. 2019 (via Practical Neurology): 18% of new patients referred to two MS centers with an MS diagnosis were misdiagnosed. McDonald criteria revised in 2024. What misdiagnosed patients really had What misdiagnosed patients really had Solomon AJ et al., Neurology 2016;87:1393-1399: migraine 22%, fibromyalgia 15%, nonspecific symptoms with abnormal MRI 12%, conversion/psychogenic 11%, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder 6%. The cost of a wrong MS diagnosis The cost of a wrong MS diagnosis 70% took MS drugs they didn't need 1 in 3 stayed misdiagnosed 10 years or more 72% had an earlier chance at the right diagnosis 31% were harmed by it Solomon et al. 2016, 110 misdiagnosed patients at four academic MS centers: 77 (70%) received disease-modifying therapy; 36 (33%) misdiagnosed 10+ years; 79 (72%) had an earlier missed opportunity; 34 (31%) unnecessary morbidity. The other side The other side — Most MS diagnoses are right, and MS drugs help people who have it — Treating early protects the brain, so doctors move fast — The 2024 update to the diagnosis rules aims at faster, more accurate answers — Applegate's symptoms are real; the cause is still unknown Practical Neurology / ECTRIMS 2025: the 2024 McDonald criteria improve sensitivity and speed vs 2017. Misdiagnosis rates in studies range 5-18% (2024 review). What people can do What people can do — Ask the doctor: what else could explain these symptoms? — Get a second opinion at an MS specialty center — Bring every scan and test result — Ask whether the diagnosis meets the current McDonald criteria Patient steps consistent with the misdiagnosis literature (Solomon 2016; Brownlee & Solomon 2021): specialist re-evaluation, review of MRI and criteria. Easy Media Kits on Dataspheres AI Easy Media Kits on Dataspheres AI Automate videos like this. datas