Doctor’s MS Reversal Leaves Christina Applegate Facing New Questions

A diagnosis overturned

Applegate described her doctor entering her room and announcing the change as good news. She said the doctor told her, “Congratulations, you don’t have MS.” For Applegate, losing the diagnosis did not resolve her symptoms. She said it felt like returning to the beginning, without an answer for the pain, balance issues, tremors, incontinence and fatigue she had experienced for years.

Why MS can be difficult

Doctors may assess possible MS through neurological exams that test balance and reflexes, MRI scans, a lumbar puncture and, in some cases, blood tests to rule out other conditions, including Lyme disease. A 2019 study co-authored by Solomon found that some people first diagnosed with MS were later found to have other conditions, including migraine, radiologically isolated syndrome, spondylopathy and neuropathy. These can produce symptoms or scan findings that overlap with MS.

Tests and diagnostic uncertainty

Solomon said clinicians should confirm each part of the diagnostic criteria and rule out alternatives, rather than conclude that a person has MS based only on symptoms and MRI results. He said waiting for more tests can be uncomfortable for people experiencing many debilitating symptoms.

On the podcast, Applegate said her brain lesions lacked “strings” associated with MS. Kaisey explained that this relates to a newer diagnostic tool. Central vein sign, or CVS, entered recommended MS diagnostic criteria in 2025, four years after Applegate’s diagnosis; Kaisey said not all physicians use it yet.

The impact of losing clarity

Without a formal diagnosis, patients may also worry about insurance coverage for treatments that have helped them. Solomon said cases like Applegate’s are not uncommon.