Christina Applegate Gets Emotional Addressing 13-Year-Old Daughter's POTS Diagnosis

Christina Applegate is navigating another health crisis, but it's about her daughter, Sadie.

The actress recently sat down for a heart-to-heart conversation with the 13-year-old, getting candid about their feelings amid her postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) diagnosis.

Sadie's condition is a double blow for the family as Christina Applegate was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021.

In the latest episode of Applegate's "MeSsy" podcast, Sadie joined her mom to discuss her POTS diagnosis and how the condition had changed her perspective on many things.

"I have something called POTS. I have no clue what it actually is, but it's something to do with the autonomic nervous system, and it affects my heart," Sadie shared, "When I stand up, I get really, really dizzy, and my legs get really weak, and I feel like I'm going to pass out."

The 13-year-old's revelation got Applegate pouring out her love and support. "I hate it for you, my darling. I really hate it for you," the doting mother lamented, adding:

"I'm sad. But I love you, and I know you're going to be OK. And I'm here for you, and I believe you. And thank you for bringing this to light and awareness."

Sadie revealed on the podcast that she had been suffering from POTS symptoms for a very long time. However, her struggles were often dismissed as a teenager's scheme to avoid school activities.

"In class, if I were to stand up then, I would be like, 'I have to go to the nurse. I can't do this.' Or I'll be in PE, and I'll be like, 'I have to go to the nurse,'" Applegate's daughter recalled, noting the frequent response she got was, "'You're doing this to get out of class. It's probably just anxiety. Go back to class.'"

"They wouldn't do anything for it. Them not doing anything about it definitely hurt me physically and emotionally," Sadie lamented, "Because I was just like, 'This is rude, and I feel sick, and you're telling me to go to PE and run laps around the football field. I can't do that.'"

Sadie's pain about being dismissed while she was suffering struck a regretful chord in Applegate's heart as she was also guilty of disregarding her daughter's symptoms. The actress confessed that she thought it stemmed from her dislike for physical activities.

"I was like, 'Oh, I kind of felt that way too.'I feel so horrible that we didn't pay attention to it. I just didn't see it at home, babe. At home, you were fine. But it's kind of like us," Applegate said, noting:

"We get out in the world, and the stresses and the anxiety of the world bring upon our symptoms much worse than they would be if we were in the safety and the coolness of our own homes."

Despite her symptoms and the painful memories tied to her POTS condition, Sadie expressed gratitude for her health crisis. She explained that her diagnosis has made it easier for her to understand her mother's MS battle.

The 13-year-old stated that she could finally relate to Applegate's struggles, saying: "Like when my mom's like, 'Oh, I'm kind of in pain right now. Oh, I'm having tremors.' If I didn't have this, I probably would be like, 'I don't really care. I don't know what you're talking about.'"

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic disorder that affects the autonomic nervous system and blood circulation. Sadie's diagnosis with the condition comes three years after her mother's MS announcement.

A year after Applegate was diagnosed with MS, The Blast reported that she opened up about navigating the debilitating symptoms with positive vibes. She shared her coping system in a 2022 appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show."

The show's host started the conversation by asking the actress, "Are you someone who is naturally optimistic when you're sick or when you're fighting something? Because I go to humor and very dark humor. I don't know how you deal with things."

Applegate agreed, replying, "Yeah, my humor shield keeps me ok. Um, but of course, down on the insides, you feel the things, and I do it to kind of deflect and make people not be scared to be around me."