Actress Christina Applegate, 51, reveals living with multiple sclerosis can be a tough experience. However, she's not letting it take over her life. By adopting some treatment methods to help manage her symptoms she’s continuing her acting career.
Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in August 2021. The disease impacts the central nervous system and can cause numbness or tingling in your limbs.
Although there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, there are several treatment options to help manage symptoms. Common tools MS patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) which can slow the progression of the disease according to some studies.
Applegate has chosen to share her MS journey publicly. Her experience is proving to be a source of inspiration for many of her fans who are also undergoing health-related challenges.
Actress Christina Applegate, 51, admits multiple sclerosis (MS) is taking a toll on her life. Nearly two years after being diagnosed with the chronic disease which causes numbness and tingling in parts of the body, Applegate remains resilient and realistic about how hard it is to live with a chronic disease. The "Married with Children" star's willingness to persevere is proving to be an inspiration to others also facing chronic illness or cancer.
"With the disease of MS, it's never a good day," Applegate wrote in her Instagram post.
"Having MS f—ing sucks…You just have little s—– days," she said.
Applegate's Hollywood career is expansive dating back to the 1970s. One of her biggest successes includes her role as Kelly Bundy in "Married With Children," which launched in 1987 and lasted until 1997.
She also starred in "Dead to Me," "The Sweetest Thing," and "Anchorman." The beloved actress's personal life took a turn in August 2021 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The incurable disease impacts the central nervous system and can cause numbness or tingling in your limbs.
She explained how her symptoms are impacting her daily life.
"With the disease of MS, it's never a good day," Applegate explained in an interview with Vanity Fair.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: (L-R) Christina Applegate and Julia Roberts attend the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Critics Choice Association)
She went on to say everyday activities like taking showers, using stairs, and carrying things are all challenging.
Applegate's acting career has been impacted by her diagnosis but not completely upended. She's resorted to voiceover work rather than appearing on camera. By doing this, she can better manage her symptoms, and voice acting is easier on her body.
"I can do voiceover stuff because I have to support my family and keep my brain working," she said.
"I can't even imagine going to set right now. This is a progressive disease. I don't know if I'm going to get worse," she continued.
Her willingness to find a way to live with MS is an inspiration to many of her fans supporting her.
"From your early days k/Bundy to being you now, you are an inspiration to one and all â¤ï¸," one Instagram user wrote.
"Awwww!!! Keep going Christine as I know that this MS battle won't ever stop you from doing whatever YOU need to do and do on YOUR terms!! I'm disabled too so I understand where you're coming from WARRIOR!!!" another person wrote.
The "Dead to Me" star now sports a walking cane which is normal for people living with MS as it offers balance support. Applegate's recent social media posts show her enjoying life alongside friends which is important for people battling chronic disease or cancer to do whenever possible.
Christina Applegate at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards (Getty)
"Not every day is terrible, with MS you learn to appreciate the small wins. #ihavemsbutitdoesnthaveme," a supportive fan wrote on Applegate's social media page.
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis causes the immune system to attack cells that form the protective sheath that covers nerve fibers in the spinal cord. The disruption leads to communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.
Once the protective barrier is damaged, the spinal cord struggles to send messages to the arms, legs, and other parts of the body to function normally.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society outlines the different types of multiple sclerosis:
Clinically isolated syndrome (CIS): This is when an individual experiences a single neurological episode lasting 24 hours or less. CIS is what MS is diagnosed as until there is a second episode.
Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS): The most common MS among the million people battling the disease in the US, RRMS is marked by sudden flare-ups, new symptoms, or worsening of symptoms and cognitive function. The condition will then go into remission for some time before reemerging with no known warning signs.
Primary progressive MS (PPMS): These individuals have no flare-ups or remission, just a steady decline with progressively worse symptoms and an increasing loss of cognitive and body functions.
Secondary progressive MS (SPMS): This is an almost transitional form of MS that progresses from RRMS to PPMS.
In addition to balance issues, numbness, and tingling in the limbs as Applegate experienced, other common MS symptoms include vision and bladder control problems. Mood changes and mental and physical fatigue are other symptoms people living with MS may experience according to the National Institute of Health.
There is no cure for MS, but MS warriors battling the disease do have methods to manage their symptoms.
Common tools MS patients use to improve their quality of life include wheelchairs, canes, leg braces and some medical treatments called disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).
A study in American Family Physician found DMTs "has been shown to slow disease progression and disability; options include injectable agents, infusions, and oral medications targeting different sites in the inflammatory pathway."
While chemotherapy is widely known as a cancer treatment that uses drugs to kill cancer cells, it is also effective at slowing down or stopping disease activity in MS. Fellow actress Selma Blair, 51, previously underwent chemotherapy as part of her treatment for MS. She shared a photo on her Instagram post-chemotherapy of her hair regrowth after losing it during treatment, a common side effect of chemotherapy.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 15: Selma Blair arrives at the 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 15, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
"A large amount of our chemotherapies do cause hair loss, not all of them," Vivian Rusziewicz, a Nurse Practitioner for Ohio Health previously told SurvivorNet.
"Generally, in terms of hair loss, it would begin about three weeks, three to four weeks, after your first chemotherapy treatment…Generally, people will start to see some regrowth about four to six weeks after your last treatment…As long as you aren't being treated with another medication that might cause hair loss," Rusziewicz added.
WATCH: Living with MS
SurvivorNet has had the opportunity to share the stories of resilience from other multiple sclerosis patients. The disease impacts everyone differently and for Louise Carr, she experiences neuropathic pain and muscular skeletal pain.
Questions for Your Doctor
If you are diagnosed with MS or may be concerned you have the chronic disease due to symptoms you're experiencing, consider asking your doctor the following questions.
Although there's no cure for MS, which treatment option to manage my symptoms do you recommend for me?
Are there any potential side effects of MS treatment?
What if the treatment to manage symptoms doesn't work?
Will exercise or therapy help my symptoms?
Are there any MS support groups you recommend to help me cope?
