From Straight Arrow · · 1m 20s
Actress Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS
Actress Christina Applegate reveals she was misdiagnosed with MS, a condition affecting nearly 1 million Americans.
In brief
Actress Christina Applegate reveals she was misdiagnosed with MS, a condition affecting nearly 1 million Americans. Actress Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS, a condition that affects nearly 1 million Americans. Originally reported by Straight Arrow.
Christina Applegate's MS diagnosis
Actress Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a condition affecting nearly one million Americans.
“Congratulations, you don’t have MS”
Misdiagnosis common in MS cases
A neurologist states nearly 20% of people diagnosed with MS do not actually have the disease.
“Almost 1 in 5 of these people who’d been told they had MS, some for decades, didn’t actually have it”
MS diagnosis process
MS is diagnosed using a list of criteria rather than a single definitive test, according to a Cedars-Sinai neurologist.
“We don’t have one single test for MS”
Applegate's symptoms persist
Applegate says her symptoms worsened after learning she was misdiagnosed, including fatigue and mobility issues.
“I haven’t gotten better, Jamie! If anything, I’ve gotten worse”
Impact on life
Applegate lost her job and has ongoing mobility challenges despite the corrected diagnosis.
“I lost my job. I lost, I’m sorry. What do you say to someone who’s been living with this for six years”
MS affects central nervous system
Multiple sclerosis disrupts information flow in the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body.
“Multiple Sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves”
MS treatment challenges
There is no known cure for MS, but medications reduce inflammation and slow disease progression.
“Treatment usually consists of medications to reduce inflammation and slow the progression of the disease”
Misdiagnosis consequences
Many misdiagnosed patients were on medication for MS they do not actually have, causing financial and health risks.
“A majority of them were on medication to treat their MS”
The essence
Actress Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with MS, a condition that affects nearly 1 million Americans.
