Christina Applegate has spoken about the first subtle symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) she experienced before her diagnosis.
MS is a disease that causes the breakdown of the protective covering (myelin) of the nerves, causing a miscommunication between the brain and the rest of the body and leading to numbness, weakness, vision problems, and mobility issues.
Applegate, 53, was diagnosed with the health condition in 2021, and has been extremely open about what it's like living with MS ever since.
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Recently, she appeared on the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast with Jamie-Lynn Sigler, where she discussed the condition and the first 'subtle' signs she experienced.
"It was January 2021, my mom had just been diagnosed with cancer for the third time, there was some other stuff going on in my life, it was a really stressful and traumatic time," said Christina.
"My toes started to feel numb, just my toes a little bit. I was still hiking, I was still playing tennis but my toes weren't feeling right.
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"Eventually, over those months, it grew from my toes, to my ankles, to my knees down is a whole other ball game. I was losing balance, the pain was extraordinary. When I say numb, it was numb but it hurts."
Christina explained that it was actually Selma Blair who told her to go and see a neurologist.
According to Mayo Clinic, common symptoms of MS can include:
- Numbness and tingling
- Electric shock sensations
- Lack of co-ordination
- Mobility issues
- Weakness
- Partial or complete loss of vision
- Double vision
- Blurry vision
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Trouble with sexual, bowel and bladder function
- Fatigue
- Slurred speech
- Issues with memory
- Mood changes
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Christina explained that she was having a 'bad symptomatic day' while interviewing for the podcast, revealing that she has some days that are worse than others.
"If people saw what my life was like on the daily, they wouldn't be able to do it. Because I can sometimes not do it. It's really, really hard," she said.
"I don't really leave the house anymore.
"... The first thing that I hear from people is 'how did you get it'? Meaning I must have done something wrong in my life to have this disease, I did it to myself. It's like I had breast cancer as well so, oh you must have done something.
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"That stigma, I'm used to it now but it was so hard to swallow for a while because why the f**k would you think that I would do something to have this, because this is the worst thing I've ever had in my life.
"It's the worst thing I've ever gone through."
Topics: Celebrity, Christina Applegate, Health, Podcast
Lucy Devine