Applegate Undergoes Fresh Tests After MS Diagnosis Reversed

Christina Applegate is being tested for lupus and Lyme disease after doctors said she does not have multiple sclerosis.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Arthritis

Applegate Undergoes Fresh Tests After MS Diagnosis Reversed

Christina Applegate, 54, was told last month that she does not have multiple sclerosis, a condition she had publicly announced in August 2021. Doctors are now testing her one by one for diseases that can mimic MS, and she is seeing a rheumatologist to investigate rheumatoid arthritis.

Why it matters

Her symptoms have not improved despite the revised diagnosis, leaving her without a clear explanation for her condition. Lupus and Lyme disease can produce symptoms that overlap with those of multiple sclerosis, which is why the testing continues.

Christina Applegate, 54, says she has battled these symptoms for five years and needs around ten minutes to get out of bed. No diagnosis of lupus, Lyme disease, or rheumatoid arthritis has been confirmed, and the cause of her symptoms is still unknown.

The players

Christina Applegate

Christina Applegate is an actress known for Married... with Children and Dead to Me, and an advocate for people living with multiple sclerosis.

Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Jamie-Lynn Sigler is an actress known for The Sopranos who co-hosts the MeSsy podcast.

The details

Applegate says she needs a wheelchair to reach medical appointments and keeps a walker beside her bed. She discussed the diagnosis change and the new round of testing on her MeSsy podcast with Jamie-Lynn Sigler.

August 2021: Applegate publicly announced her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
Last month (October 2026): Her doctor told her she does not have multiple sclerosis.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Applegate discussed the fresh testing on her podcast.

Health Landscape

Applegate's 2021 announcement that she had multiple sclerosis is now being revised after doctors ruled it out. The reversal underscores how conditions with overlapping symptoms, such as lupus and Lyme disease, can complicate diagnosis for patients.

Patients whose symptoms overlap with multiple sclerosis may face a lengthy testing process before reaching a diagnosis. Readers experiencing persistent neurological or joint symptoms should discuss the full range of possible causes with their doctor.

The takeaway

A diagnosis can change, and symptoms can persist after it does, so ongoing testing matters. Anyone with unexplained symptoms should ask their doctor about conditions that overlap with the first suspected diagnosis.