Overview
- Applegate announced on her MeSsy podcast that recent testing led her doctors to tell her she does not have multiple sclerosis.
- She said the news, shared between tears on Tuesday, did not bring relief because her debilitating symptoms have continued and in some ways worsened.
- Doctors used newer testing and imaging technology to reassess her case and have begun or will begin further investigations to find what has caused her symptoms since 2021.
- Applegate described major personal and professional consequences from the earlier diagnosis, including severe depression, stepping back from acting and a public role as an MS advocate that she now finds confusing.
- Experts on the podcast explained that MS has no single definitive test and that studies show roughly one in five diagnoses can be incorrect, which can lead to long-term treatment and life changes for patients.