On August 10, 2021, Hollywood star Christina Applegate announced on social media that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a few months prior. She was filming the show De*d to Me at the time.
MS is a chronic autoimmune neurological disorder in which the immune system attacks myelin in the central nervous system. Made up of a mixture of fatty acids and protein, myelin is the substance that coats the nerve fibers and helps in communication between the neurons.
Studies have shown that close to 16,000 people lose their lives to the disorder every year, with the percentage of people getting MS steadily rising since the last decade.
Fans flooded Applegate’s X announcement with love, support, and their personal stories of battling MS. “We got this. Warriors for life. Warriors fight,” one user said.
The actress has been confined to her bed ever since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
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Symptoms of multiple sclerosis often include muscle weakness, stiffness, and spasms, along with extreme physical and mental fatigue. Applegate, 54, said she suffers from similar conditions, which means she is confined to her bed for most of the day.
Despite the struggle, Applegate has made a point of taking her daughter to school every day, as Bored Panda previously reported. 15-year-old Sadie is her only child, whom she shares with husband Martyn LeNoble.
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“I want to take her; it’s my favorite thing to do. It’s the only time we have together by ourselves,” the actress said to People on February 24. “I tell myself, ‘Just get her there safely and get home so you can get back into bed.’ And that’s what I do.”
“We all have come from somewhere, some places more painful than others, and it’s what you do with it, I guess,” she added.
In 2008, Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine screening. 36 years old at the time, she underwent a double mastectomy after testing positive instead of opting for chemotherapy or radiation.
That same year, a survey published on PubMed Central said that 84% of 203 female patients chose mastectomy because they felt safer with the procedure despite having been told about equal survival chances following breast conserving surgery.
Applegate’s mother, Nancy Priddy, was also diagnosed with breast cancer twice.
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In her new memoir, You With the Sad Eyes, the Emmy-winning actress talks about her battle with both diseases, as well as teen fame, past relationships, and motherhood.
In early February, she announced the launch of a new online platform, Next in MS, partnering up with TG Therapeutics. The app invites others with MS to open up about “the good, the bad, the ugly, the in-betweens, the diapers, the things, whatever it is.”
Women are three times more likely to develop MS than men, neurologists said
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Many users reacted to Applegate announcing her MS diagnosis in 2021 with their own experiences and how they dealt with the disorder. “As a fellow MSer, I feel your pain and the anxiety and concern you are feeling,” one commented.
“Sorry to hear about the diagnosis Christina,” one of her fans wrote, guiding her to the work of Dr. Aaron Boster, a neurologist and founder of The Boster Center for Multiple Sclerosis in Ohio.
In one of his videos with over 56,000 views, Dr. Boster said, “Irritability, cognitive fog, motor fatigue, loss of position sense, shy bladder, constipation, transient double vision, hard to explain skin sensations, loss of s*xual sensations, trouble swallowing, and impaired social cognition,” were some of the “sneaky” symptoms of MS.
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Neurologist and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Specialist Barbara Giesser, MD, of the Pacific Brain Health Center, said: “We think there are approximately a million people in the United States who currently carry a diagnosis of MS, and it’s three times more common in women.”
She acknowledged that some of the most common early signs of MS could be everyday troubles like pain and fatigue, which often delay diagnosis.
“Obviously, MS is not the only thing that causes fatigue, but fatigue is a very common symptom,” she said. “Numbness and tingling, especially that comes and goes in the hands or feet, is a common symptom.”
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“Some people with MS may experience a sensation as though they have a tight band or belt around their torso,” Dr. Giesser said about experiencing torso tightness. “This is due to nerve damage in the thoracic spinal cord and is called the ‘MS hug.’”
Multiple sclerosis costs nearly 16,000 lives annually, according to studies
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According to a study published on PubMed Central, the number of people living with MS rose 30% since 2013, reaching 2.8 million in 2020, with women being twice as likely to be affected as men.
Another study on the epidemiology of MS, published on Springer Nature in 2021, said that over 62,000 individuals are diagnosed with MS every year, and it causes roughly 16,000 fatalities annually.
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An estimate by Delve Insight claimed that in 2024, there were about 926,000 total diagnosed prevalent cases of MS in the US, with around 5,000 cases occurring in children. Among adults, the 20-50 age group had the largest number of diagnosed individuals.
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In addition to Applegate, celebrities like actress Selma Blair, singer Art Alexakis, talk show host Montel Williams, TV star Jack Osbourne, NASCAR racer Trevor Bayne, and actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler also went public with their MS diagnoses.
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Applegate and Sigler host the podcast MeSsy together, where they often discuss the chronic disorder and its various aspects.
“So many of us with MS feel your pain.” Fans showered Christina Applegate with support after latest update on battle with MS
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