Christina Applegate Reveals the MS Side Effect That Impacted Her “More Than the Disease”
Award-winning actress Christina Applegate is opening up about the deeply personal toll of living with multiple sclerosis (MS), revealing that changes to her body image have at times been more emotionally challenging than the disease itself.
Speaking Candidly About MS
Nearly one million people in the United States are living with MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The chronic autoimmune condition attacks the protective covering of nerves and can cause symptoms including muscle weakness, numbness, vision problems, fatigue, and difficulty walking, as outlined by the Mayo Clinic. The course of the disease varies widely, with some patients experiencing periods of remission and others facing progressive disability.
Applegate, who publicly revealed her diagnosis in 2021, has since become an advocate for MS awareness, speaking openly about both the physical and emotional realities of the condition.
Memoir Details Physical and Emotional Struggles
In her memoir, You With the Sad Eyes: A Memoir by Christina Applegate, Applegate shares intimate reflections on how MS treatment reshaped her body and self-perception.
She describes undergoing 15 hours of steroid infusions as part of her treatment — a common therapy used to manage MS flare-ups. The steroids led to rapid weight gain and changes in muscle tone, compounding the physical symptoms she was already experiencing, including fatigue, mobility issues, and digestive complications.
While MS brought significant health challenges, Applegate writes that the sudden fluctuations in her weight and appearance were at times harder to accept emotionally.
“My relationship with food is so much better than it ever was, but it took a long time to improve,” she shared. “When the MS hit, the stability I’d fought so hard for went haywire.”
Body Image and Loss of Control
Having spent decades in Hollywood, Applegate was no stranger to scrutiny over her appearance. After her diagnosis, however, she says that scrutiny felt more personal and painful.
She describes struggling with body dysmorphia and a sense of losing control over her own image. “The girl who had control all her life no longer had that control,” she explains in the book.
Later, severe gastrointestinal issues linked to MS required her to follow a clear-liquid diet. Over seven months, she lost more than 50 pounds, resulting in significant muscle loss. The dramatic weight loss, she notes, left her legs noticeably thinner and raised new concerns about strength and stability.
“It’s dangerous to be walking around with zero muscles on my body,” she says, citing fears about falls and bone health — risks that can be heightened for people living with MS.
A Complex Road to Acceptance
Applegate reflects on recovery as an ongoing, layered process. While she feels she has built a healthier relationship with food and made strides in quieting her inner critic, she acknowledges that body image struggles do not disappear overnight.
By sharing her experiences with steroid side effects, rapid weight changes, and the psychological impact of chronic illness, Applegate continues to broaden public understanding of life with MS.
Her story underscores a broader reality for many living with autoimmune diseases: managing the condition is not only about treating physical symptoms, but also about navigating the emotional and mental health challenges that often come alongside them.
