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Christina Applegate details extent of brain damage caused by MS, launches podcast

March 28, 2024

"Dead to Me" actor Christina Applegate has been sharing more about her battle with MS.

"This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me," Applegate, 52, acknowledged in an interview earlier this month with Robin Roberts, "I hate it so much. I'm so mad about it."

Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while working on the third season of Netflix's "Dead to Me," and she revealed her diagnosis publicly in 2021.

Most recently, Applegate appeared on the "Armchair Expert" podcast with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman where she detailed the symptoms she's experiencing and said that she has 30 lesions on her brain because of the degenerative disease.

"So sores all over my brain," she said. Although it doesn't currently affect her vision she explains that "My biggest one is behind my right eye, so my right eye hurts a lot."

"I'm not happy about the ones in my brain," Applegate said, explaining that people with MS will sometimes have similar lesions in other parts of their bodies, including their spines.

She reflected on "Armchair Expert" that her battle with MS is for "life" and that she isn't sure whether she'll be around in 10 years.

Despite the daily challenges of living with MS, she recently premiered a podcast titled "MeSsy" with friend and fellow actor Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 42, of "The Sopranos," who also has multiple sclerosis. While the podcast will deal with MS struggles, Applegate says the topics will be broader and attempt to cover how to get through any difficulties in life with honesty, humor, and supportive friendships.

During her "Armchair Expert" interview, the actor provided the following update on her symptoms:

• Applegate says she may have had MS symptoms for up to "six or seven years" before her diagnosis.
• She also said she has issues with mobility, including hand tremors, incontinence, overexertion, and what she describes as an intermittent “seizure-y” feeling in her brain.
• After revealing she's been hospitalized many times for her condition, she said her weight has fluctuated. She gained 45 pounds after her diagnosis, which she attributes to steroids and lack of mobility, but now "intense pain" and vomiting have resulted in her losing 30 pounds.

Sources:

Morrow, Brendan. (2024, March 27). USA Today. Christina Applegate says she has 30 lesions on her brain amid MS battle. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2024/03/27/christina-applegate-lessons-brain-multiple-sclerosis/73117652007/

Callahan, Chrissy. (2024, January 13; updated 2024, March 27). Today. Christina Applegate on living with MS: 'It's the worst thing that has ever happened to me". https://www.today.com/health/christina-applegate-ms-rcna133040