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Christina Applegate gets candid about the ‘unimaginable’ pain of living with MS© Variety via Getty Images

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Christina Applegate gets candid about the ‘unimaginable’ pain of living with MS

Applegate has been discussing her symptoms of multiple sclerosis


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
MARCH 20, 2025 4:34 PM EDT

Christina Applegate wants to discuss some of the rare symptoms that plague people with multiple sclerosis. In a new episode of her podcast, MesSy, which she co-hosts with fellow actress Jamie Lynn-Siegler, who's also diagnosed with MS, Applegate discussed the gastrointestinal issues that she's experienced since her MS diagnosis

Applegate attended the 2024 Emmy Awards and was received with a warm welcome from her fellow actors© WireImage
Applegate attended the 2024 Emmy Awards and was received with a warm welcome from her fellow actors

Applegate and Siegler have a section of their show where they read some questions sent by their listeners. One of them was about painful gastrointestinal issues. The listener, called Kelly, revealed that her family didn't understand “why I'm throwing up and having diarrhea every single day." 

“Oh girl, let’s talk about that," said Applegate, revealing that it's something that she's also experienced. 

“This is really important because for three years, since I was diagnosed, I've been in the hospital upwards of 30 times from throwing up and diarrhea and pain that is unimaginable,” said Applegate. 

Applegate shared an honest reply and a medical suggestion after receiving a listener's question© Variety via Getty Images
Applegate shared an honest reply and a medical suggestion after receiving a listener's question

Applegate gave Kelly a suggestion that worked in her own life. “Talk to your doctor about motility issues, okay? Because one of the things with MS is that it slows down our organs — not, like, completely, but it there is a slowing of the function of your organs,” she said.

“And I have noticed that —and I'm gonna be really honest — if I have to poop, I puke. And when I puke, I get all the pain, and then all the things happen." Applegate compared her body to the movie "Fight Club." “Everyone's fighting with each other,” she said. 

Christina Applegate has been working in Hollywood for decades, with her career launched to fame when she was a teen in "Married... with Children© Getty Images
Christina Applegate has been working in Hollywood for decades, with her career launched to fame when she was a teen in "Married... with Children

Applegate has been transparent about her MS diagnosis

Applegate made it clear that she's not a doctor and that her neurologist told her that gastrointestinal issues are not an "MS thing". 

“It's interesting because now Kelly has it too since the day she was diagnosed. So I'm sorry [but] there's gotta be a correlation here, and I'm not a doctor, so I'm not giving medical advice," she said. 

Applegate was diagnosed with the disease in 2021 and has since discussed it openly, shedding light on her grueling experience. 

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