Health News · Neurology

After years as one of the best-known faces of MS, Christina Applegate learned from her doctors that she does not have the disease, and her symptoms remain. Her story shows how real multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis is: in one 2019 study, nearly 1 in 5 patients referred to two MS centers with an MS diagnosis likely had another condition.

Since 2021, Applegate has been one of the most recognizable people living with a multiple sclerosis diagnosis. She wrote a memoir about it. She co-hosts the podcast “MeSsy” with actress and fellow MS patient Jamie-Lynn Sigler. She left her Netflix series “Dead to Me” as her health got worse. By her own account, she and Sigler had become “the poster children for MS.”

This week, Applegate returned to the podcast after seven months away, while Sigler had been hosting alone. Then she shared news from a recent doctor visit. Her doctor walked in with new test results and said: “It’s hard to say, but she came into my room, and she said, ‘Congratulations, you don’t have MS.’”

Most of us would expect relief. Applegate felt the opposite. “I was like, not happy at all. Everybody else was so happy.” That sounds strange until you hear the rest.

Back at Square One

A diagnosis is more than a label. It is an answer. For Applegate, MS had explained years of tingling and numbness, poor coordination, balance trouble, and problems walking. Losing the diagnosis did not make those symptoms go away.

“I haven’t gotten better, Jamie! If anything, I’ve gotten worse,” she told Sigler. “So I’m back at square one where I don’t know what’s going on with me.”

She still uses a wheelchair when she goes to the doctor’s office. According to CNN, recent testing using new technology led to the conclusion that she does not have MS, and her doctors are now working to figure out what has been happening since 2021. “Nothing magical happened when she said, ‘You don’t have MS,’” Applegate said.

That is the part of her story many patients will recognize. When symptoms are real but the name for them is uncertain, the goal is the same one behind managing symptoms rather than just masking them: keep looking for the cause, not just a label.

How Often Multiple Sclerosis Misdiagnosis Happens

More often than you might think. In 2019, neurologists at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA reviewed 241 new patients who came to their MS clinics already diagnosed with MS. Nearly 18% did not fully meet the diagnostic criteria and had another, more likely diagnosis: 17% at Cedars-Sinai and 19% at UCLA.

Those misdiagnosed patients spent an average of four years being treated for MS before getting the right diagnosis. That added up to about 110 patient-years of unnecessary disease-modifying therapy. Four years, for a disease they did not have.

So what did these patients actually have? The most common alternate diagnoses are among the conditions mistaken for MS most often in clinical practice:

The study’s lead author, Cedars-Sinai neurologist Dr. Marwa Kaisey, called the diagnosis of MS “tricky” and said, “You have to rule out any other diagnoses, and it’s not a perfect science.” She also described the human cost:

The findings come from a retrospective review at two academic MS centers, so the exact rates may not apply to every patient or care setting. You can read the Cedars-Sinai MS misdiagnosis study for the full details. Here is the kicker: Kaisey was a guest on Applegate’s podcast this week.

Nobody Is the Villain Here

It would be easy to turn this into a story about bad doctors. It is not that simple.

On the podcast, Kaisey described what she called the “push and pull of the diagnostic process.” Doctors want to diagnose MS early, because starting treatment sooner tends to lead to better long-term outcomes. At the same time, they have to be extremely careful to get the diagnosis right.

That is the real tension, and doctors face it every day. Wait too long, and a person with MS may lose ground. Move too fast, and someone without MS may spend years on the wrong path.

Diagnostic error is not unique to MS. Missed and delayed diagnoses happen with many serious conditions, as the chart below shows. The MS figure comes from a different kind of study than the others, so it is not a direct comparison, but the takeaway is the same: diagnosis is difficult, and a second look can matter.

That is why questions matter, especially when you are asking how MS is diagnosed or whether another condition could fit better. A careful MS differential diagnosis weighs the conditions mistaken for MS before settling on an answer. Which brings us to the one person who sits through every visit, every test, and every prescription.

You.

The Most Invested Person in the Room

At The Wellness Company, we believe nobody values your health as much as you do. Your doctor has many patients. You have one. That does not mean you have to do it alone. Find a doctor you trust, and stay involved:

You may be wondering whether your doctor will be offended. A solid diagnosis should hold up to a second look, and you have every right to understand a treatment before you agree to it. That is the heart of informed consent and knowing what you are agreeing to. And remember who overturned Applegate’s diagnosis in the first place.

Doctors.

Applegate’s story is not over. She is still looking for answers, and we hope she finds them.

Frequently Asked Questions About MS Misdiagnosis

Disclaimer: This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Always talk with your doctor before changing your diagnosis, treatment, or medications.