# Christina Applegate Misdiagnosed With MS

> Christina Applegate revealed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago after doctors corrected the error.
- Title: Christina Applegate Misdiagnosed With MS · Page Six | Shortify
- Summary: Christina Applegate revealed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis five years ago after doctors corrected the error. Christina Applegate was…
- Keywords: christina applegate, multiple sclerosis, misdiagnosis, doctor, diagnosis, symptoms, neurologist, news, entertainment, Christina, Applegate, Misdiagnosed
- Source: Page Six — https://pagesix.com/2026/10/20/celebrity-news/how-christina-applegate-was-misdiagnosed-with-multiple-sclerosis-5-years-after-learning-of-condition
- Published: 2026-10-20T19:31:59+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: christina applegate, multiple sclerosis, misdiagnosis, ms, doctor, diagnosis, symptoms, neurologist, news, entertainment
## Christina Applegate's MS Misdiagnosis
Christina Applegate revealed she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly five years ago.
## Dr. Barbara S. Giesser on MS Diagnosis
Dr. Barbara S. Giesser, MD, FAAN, FANA, director of the MS Comprehensive Care Clinic at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, Calif., explained MS diagnosis is not always straightforward.
## No Single Test for MS
There is no one single definitive test for multiple sclerosis, so doctors rely on a combination of criteria and symptoms.

> There’s no one test that we can do and say yes or no 100 percent.
## MS Misdiagnosis Rate
Studies show up to 20 percent of MS cases are misdiagnosed due to overlapping symptoms with other conditions.

> MS misdiagnoses can occur in up to '20 percent of the time.'
## Other Conditions Resemble MS
Lupus, autoimmune diseases, and infections can produce symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis.

> The more common ones are things like lupus and other sorts of autoimmune diseases that can cause inflammation that can sometimes produce a similar picture.
## Applegate's Reaction
Applegate was devastated when her doctor told her she did not have MS, despite her health continuing to deteriorate.

> [My doctor] came into my room and said, 'Congratulations, you don’t have MS,' I was, like, not happy at all.
## Key takeaway

Christina Applegate was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021 but later found to have a different condition after doctors reevaluated her symptoms.