Christina Applegate Reveals She Likely Had Multiple Sclerosis “for Six or Seven Years” Before Diagnosis. The longtime TV and film actress said she initially noticed symptoms of the disease while filming the first season of 'Dead to Me' but wasn't diagnosed until 2021.

How long did it take Christina Applegate to get diagnosed with MS?

Christina Applegate is reflecting on her health journey. The "Dead to Me" star revealed that she likely experienced multiple sclerosis symptoms for "six or seven years" before she actually got diagnosed with the condition in 2021.

What is multiple sclerosis life expectancy?

Many people with MS live for as long as the general population. Studies on the effect of MS on life expectancy have been carried out in several countries. The results from these studies suggest that, on average, having MS reduces your life expectancy by six to seven years.

What are usually the first signs of MS?

What health issue is Christina Applegate having?

Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while working on the third season of Netflix's "Dead to Me," and she shared news of her diagnosis in 2021. She reflected on "Armchair Expert" that her battle with MS is for "life" and that she isn't sure whether she'll be "around" in 10 years.

Christina Applegate reveals multiple sclerosis diagnosis l GMA

What were Christina Applegate's signs of MS?

April 2024: Christina Applegate reveals her MS has relapsed.

She described experiencing "intense pain in my legs, not being able to to walk to the bathroom without feeling like I'm going to fall, insane tingling that just has spurts of tingles that are weird coming from my butt down."

At what age does MS usually begin?

MS can appear at any age but most commonly manifests between the ages of 20 and 40. It affects women two to three times as often as men. Almost one million people in the United States have MS, making it one of the most common causes of neurological disability among young adults in North America.

What is the earliest age to get MS?

If someone's diagnosed with MS it's usually in their 30s or 40s. But there's no set age for MS onset. It can also develop in children and teenagers. It's thought that around 5-10% of people with MS experienced their first symptoms before the age of 16.

How can I check myself for MS?

People cannot give themselves a diagnosis of MS. However, they may suspect they have MS based on certain symptoms.

Has anyone ever fully recovered from MS?

MS is not considered curable. But different types of medicine are available to decrease inflammation and slow down the progression of the disease.

Does MS come on suddenly?

Most symptoms develop abruptly, within hours or days. These attacks or relapses of MS typically reach their peak within a few days at most and then resolve slowly over the next several days or weeks so that a typical relapse will be symptomatic for about eight weeks from onset to recovery.

What were Selma Blair's symptoms?

Selma Blair's MS symptoms. Blair also opened up to told TODAY.com in March 2023 about her life in remission. “I don't live in fear of this condition at all,” she said, adding that she's learned to live with a variety of lingering MS symptoms, including fatigue, speech glitches, and movement and balance challenges.

How long does MS take to disable you?

For some people with MS, the disease causes noteworthy disability shortly after it manifests, whereas others may go decades without ever developing symptoms that substantially interfere with their daily life. With modern care, most patients retain a fair degree of mobility throughout their lives.

What are the first signs of MS in a woman?

Does MS show up in blood work?

While there are no definitive blood tests for diagnosing MS, they can rule out other conditions that may mimic MS symptoms, including Lyme disease, collagen-vascular diseases, rare hereditary disorders, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Can you live a normal life with MS?

You may have to adapt your daily life if you're diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but with the right care and support many people can lead long, active and healthy lives.

Can you have MS and not know it?

Can I have multiple sclerosis for years and not know it? Yes. MS can go undetected for years. Research has suggested that many patients experience MS-related symptoms and signs several years before receiving a definite diagnosis of the disease.

What is most commonly mistaken for MS?

Some conditions that doctors may commonly misdiagnose as MS include migraine, RIS, spondylopathy, and neuropathy. To accurately diagnose MS, doctors must rule out conditions with similar symptoms and look for signs and symptoms specific to MS. As such, the process of diagnosing MS may be lengthy and complex.

What does MS feel like in legs?

Muscle spasms and stiffness: Formally called spasticity, this symptom can range from mild feelings of muscle tightness to severe and painful spasms, according to the National MS Society, and it most commonly affects the legs.

Does MS cause belly fat?

There are a number of potential causes for weight gain when you have MS. These can include: Depression, anxiety and stress which can lead to unhealthy eating for comfort. MS symptoms such as fatigue and spasticity which can mean that you are more inclined to skip exercising, leading you to become less active over time.

Why do you lose your hair with MS?

Hair loss is also relatively commonly observed in patients with MS who receive immunosuppressive agents,^3,4 which is thought to be a consequence of toxicity to the hair follicle.