Christina Applegate learned doctors misdiagnosed her multiple sclerosis after five years of treatment, shifting her medical search toward breast implant complications and inflammatory conditions.
Applegate was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2008. She underwent a double mastectomy after testing positive for a BRCA1 gene mutation and subsequently received breast implants for reconstruction.
The 54-year-old actress now suspects her chronic fatigue and severe body pain may stem from those implants. She admitted she should have replaced them long ago, noting that her physical symptoms have worsened rather than improved.
“I can’t move my right shoulder at all. I can’t lift my arm,” Christina Applegate said in her podcast MeSsy, which she dedicates to her life with neurological illness.
Applegate explained that her body pains are so severe that she needs ten minutes each morning just to sit up or get out of bed. The US Food and Drug Administration confirms that some patients with breast implants report negative symptoms including chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, memory issues, and weight changes.
RadarOnline.com reported that Applegate discussed the wrong diagnosis with Jack Osbourne on the same podcast, admitting she feels like an “imposter” within the multiple sclerosis community.
The 40-year-old Osbourne, son of the late rock musician Ozzy Osbourne, shared that the disease has impacted him while explaining that it has not managed to stop him or substantially slow down his life, despite periods where that occurred.
“That’s why I kind of feel like an imposter, even though I’m not. It’s just that my relationship with this diagnosis is weird,” Jack Osbourne said.
Applegate responded with humor, stating, “You’re talking about an imposter. I don’t even have this disease anymore. “God.””
While the two laughed, Jack Osbourne assured her, “You still qualify,” and co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler added that her friend is an “honorary member” of the community.
“Thank you. I’m never leaving this community,” the grateful actress from “Married… with Children” replied, explaining that she has built many lifelong friendships and will always remain part of the community in some form.
“Congratulations, you don’t have multiple sclerosis,” Applegate recalled her doctor telling her while she wept in the examination room on October 20, 2021, according to life.dir.bg.
Applegate explained that she was not happy with the news because a misdiagnosis does not mean she is suddenly well, noting that she has not improved and has actually worsened.
“I’ve got rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Lyme disease, and all these other things that can mimic multiple sclerosis. I’m slowly getting tested for all of that,” Applegate said in her podcast.
It remains unclear whether Applegate’s physicians tested her for a strong immune reaction against her breast implants. The Emmy-nominated actress stepped back from screen acting one year after initially sharing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis in August 2021.
“I’m back to square one and I don’t know what’s happening to me,” Applegate said, according to life.dir.bg, adding that her doctors will begin investigating what has been happening since 2021.
Applegate is undergoing tests for rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme disease, lupus, and potential complications related to her breast implants.
Applegate disclosed the incorrect multiple sclerosis diagnosis during an episode of her MeSsy podcast.