Christina Applegate fears 'leaky breast implants' may have triggered symptoms misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis
Christina Applegate has shared a new theory behind her debilitating chronic health battles, revealing she is investigating whether ruptured or leaking breast implants could have triggered the symptoms that led to her multi-year multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis.
Speaking candidly on Tuesday’s episode of her MeSsy podcast alongside co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, the 54-year-old Dead to Me star explained that while doctors run battery after battery of tests to determine what is actually causing her severe mobility issues, she is looking closely at her 2008 reconstruction surgery.
Applegate, who underwent a double mastectomy in 2008 following a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequently received implants, admitted she is 'way overdue' to have them swapped or removed.
‘What if they’re leaking and poisoning me?’
Addressing the possibility on the podcast, Applegate revealed that the thought has lingered in the back of her mind for years—and gained urgency after a loved one recently forwarded medical research.
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“I had my double mastectomy in 2008 and I am way overdue for having them replaced,” Applegate told Sigler. “And I swear over the last five years or whatever, I’ve thought, ‘What if they’re leaking and poisoning me?’ And then there was some study… about it presenting as MS. So that’s one that I will be looking into because it’s something I’ve thought about.”
The theory aligns with Breast Implant Illness (BII), a term used to describe a broad collection of systemic symptoms—including chronic fatigue, cognitive fog, joint and muscle pain, neuropathy, and autoimmune-like reactions—that can closely mirror neurological conditions like MS.
Still in debilitating pain
The potential link comes just weeks after Applegate left fans stunned in late October when she revealed that after years of publicly fighting multiple sclerosis, doctors informed her that she had actually been misdiagnosed.
Far from feeling relieved, the Emmy winner admitted the revelation sent her spiraling into frustration because her daily physical reality remains just as agonizing.
“Getting my doctors to get all these tests done, that’s a lot,” Applegate shared. “It’s overwhelming. There’s so many different things that can be going on... I can’t move my right shoulder at all now. I can’t lift my arm. I’ve got all sorts of other things going on.”
Applegate noted that it still takes her at least 10 minutes just to sit up and get out of bed due to full-body pain, and she continues to require a wheelchair for medical visits.
While doctors continue running panels for autoimmune conditions such as lupus, Lyme disease, and rheumatoid arthritis, Applegate says she is determined to leave no stone unturned—including heading into the operating room if her implants prove to be the culprit.
Topics: Christina Applegate, Celebrity
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