Christina Applegate on Life with MS: “I Lay in Bed Screaming” Due to Pain

Christina Applegate gave an honest and painful account of her struggle with multiple sclerosis (MS) on the latest episode of her MeSsy podcast. Joined by co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler and guest Rory Kandel, a bakery owner also battling MS, Applegate opened up about the severe, unrelenting pain that has become a daily reality.

Applegate described her nights as agonizing. “I lay in bed screaming — like, the sharp pains, the ache, that squeezing,” she confessed. Kandel, sharing her own experience, described feeling like “knives in [her] stomach,” a sentiment Applegate echoed, saying, “Every single day of my life.”

The Emmy-winning actress also talked about how the disease has started to affect her hands. “I can’t even pick up my phone sometimes because now it’s traveled into my hands,” she explained, describing the struggles of losing grip strength to such a degree that she often can’t hold her remote or open bottles.

On the worst days, Applegate admits she’s confined to her bed. Comparing the floor to “lava” due to the intense pain, she recounted moments where simply placing her feet on the ground felt unbearable. “I put my feet on the ground and they’re hurting, like, extraordinarily bad to the touch,” she said, adding with humor, “Yep. Gonna get back in my bed and pee in my diaper because I don’t feel like walking all the way to the damn bathroom.” She quickly clarified, laughing, that the diaper comment was a joke, but her struggles with pain are far from lighthearted.

Diagnosed in early 2021, Applegate has been open about her journey with MS, a disease that attacks the protective coating around nerve fibers in the central nervous system, often leading to debilitating pain and mobility challenges.

What are your thoughts on Christina’s openness about her MS battle? Share your support for her in the comments, and stay tuned for more updates on her journey.