Christina Applegate Suffers Another Medical Crisis That Left Her 'Screaming' In The Hospital

Christina Applegate has opened up about facing a frightening health scare that left her hospitalized for one week.  

The actress already suffers from an ongoing battle with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, her recent hospitalization was a result of a separate health diagnosis. 

While she admits battling MS is challenging, the Primetime Emmy Award winner has found ways to cope using humor and reality TV. 

Applegate was recently in Europe visiting family and spending time with her loved ones. On the flight back, she began to feel uneasy and decided to go straight to the hospital as a pre-emptive measure. 

The “Married… With Children” star exclusively told People Magazine that she insisted on being admitted to the hospital and getting “every test” possible because she knew something was wrong. 

Sure enough, Applegate’s instincts weren’t wrong. She recalled waking up with an intense radiating pain on her right side that led her to believe her appendix was bursting.

“So much pain. I'm screaming, and they ordered me an emergency CT at 2 in the morning,” she said as she recounted the horrific experience. 

When the diagnosis came back, the doctors confirmed that she had an infection that began in her right kidney and spread to her left. As a result, she had to undergo immediate treatment and was medicated with heavy doses of antibiotics. 

“Because of this kidney infection, I have to have intravenous antibiotics right now. And that's where we're at,” the actress said. 

When she was initially taken to the hospital, the doctors assumed Applegate was suffering from a urinary tract infection and questioned her wiping method. To that, she confirmed that she has the “cleanest vagina.” “...Like, what am I back-wiping? Like, seriously, I'm 53,” she added. 

Although Applegate was trying her best to be in good spirits, she was also struggling with a lot of pain. She admitted that she was “holding in a bag [of] tears” and sometimes fell into the nurse’s arms, weeping. 

On the bright side, she responded to treatment and is now at home. “I’m home and have been treated for the kidney infection. As far as my ongoing stomach thing, it’s a work in progress. I was there seven days,” she revealed. 

Earlier this year, Applegate opened up about “stomach issues” due to the frequent diarrhea and vomiting while battling MS. According to her, she throws up whenever she has a bowel movement.

Although her doctors could not find a link between her stomach issues and her MS, the 53-year-old actress is convinced that they are connected. 

As reported by The Blast, she admitted that while the situation is scary, she isn’t going to relent on finding a solution.  

As the “Jesse” star faces health challenges on multiple fronts, she has had to find a way to cope by turning to humor. 

Two years before admitting she was struggling with depression, she credited her humor for being a pillar of strength during her low moments. She said,

“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.” 

Besides humor, Applegate also indulges in watching reality TV shows as an escape from her health issues. The California-born actress finds reality TV “very useful” and can watch as many as nine seasons of a TV show in two days. 

“I know that that sounds really depressing, but it's kind of, like, I just need to sleep sometimes. Yeah, reality TV. Everything. Give me any of it,” she admitted. 

Applegate then listed some of her favorite shows as “Vanderpump Rules” and “Kitchen Nightmares” with Gordon Ramsey.

Last month, Applegate announced that she is working on a debut memoir, “You With The Sad Eyes.” The Golden Globe Award nominee is laying it all out in the new project set to be released on March 3, 2026. 

As reported by People Magazine, the memoir will focus on her struggles and perseverance through abuse, abandonment, body dysmorphia, and much more,

Applegate stated in the release that it’s “scary” to “tell it all.” However, she plans to make it a genuine and well-rounded story. “But it will be real. It will be filled with the ups and downs, the humor and grief of life,” she said.