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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Christina Applegate attends the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 19, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. 721430 (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for Turner)
(Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for Turner)

‘It’s so freaking painful’: Christina Applegate details what it’s like feeling ‘knives in her stomach’ as she lays in bed ‘screaming’

The actress was diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune condition three years ago.

Christina Applegate’s battle with multiple sclerosis (MS) has gotten so much worse she could hardly get out of bed and go about her life without struggling with its symptoms. For the actress, the worst part about her condition is the different pain levels she gets to experience every day. 

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In the latest episode of her MeSsy podcast, Applegate revealed that “the sharp pains, the ache, that squeezing” have become a regular occurrence that she would find herself lying in bed “screaming” more often than not. Since being diagnosed with MS in 2021, her condition has progressed and now affects her hands. 

“I can’t even pick up my phone sometimes because now it’s traveled into my hands, so I’ll, like, try to go get my phone or get my remote to turn on the TV or sometimes, I can’t even hold them. I can’t open bottles now,” she told her co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler and guest Rory Kandel in the episode dated Nov. 5. 

Both Sigler and Kandel, the owner of Rory’s Bakehouse, also struggle with the disease, and they admitted that they could relate well with Applegate since their condition is also “manifesting as pain.”

When Kandel said that she “feels like I have knives in my stomach,” the Married… with Children star commented that “it’s the worst.” The bakery owner then asked Christina if she also experienced the same issue, and she replied, “Every single day of my life.”

Kandel noted that when the pain in the stomach starts to manifest, she couldn’t physically turn from side to side while lying in bed. This prompted Applegate to share that depending on the pain she’s feeling, she would prefer to “just lay in bed all the time.”

According to the Dead to Me actress, there are times when getting out of bed is also a struggle because she feels like the “floor is lava.” Whenever this happens, it gives her a reason to crawl back into her bed. 

“I put my feet on the ground and they’re hurting, like, extraordinarily bad to the touch. I was like, 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,” the actress said before quickly backtracking on her last statement, “I actually don’t lay here and pee in my bed diaper. That’s just a joke.”

She then quipped, “But it’s like so freaking painful and so hard and so awkward.”

Since announcing her diagnosis in 2021, the Hollywood star has been very vocal about her struggles, and she has also not shied away from being seen in public despite her symptoms. Early this year, she attended the Emmy Awards with her daughter, Sadie Grace, and even presented one of the main awards. 

In June, she admitted in her podcast that she still finds it hard to accept her condition, telling Sigler, “I’m still sitting here like, ‘Boohoo, woe is me.’ I’m still mad about it.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, MS is a disabling disease primarily affecting the brain and spinal cord. It leads to permanent damage to the nerve fibers and causes a variety of symptoms, such as pain, numbness, weakness, vision problems, and trouble walking. The cause of the disease is still unknown, and there is also no known cure for it.


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Luigi Caler
Luigi is an experienced Freelance Writer with over 15 years in the industry, specializing in technology, health and wellness, business, and mostly entertainment news. Known for having a keen eye on celebrity culture, the latest in royals, and trending movies and TV shows, he brings a unique perspective and depth to each news report he writes. Off the clock, you’ll find him either immersed in his favorite shows Superstore and The Good Wife, or enjoying outdoor adventures with his three dogs, Lyka, Casper, and Kitkat.