Actor Christina Applegate is considering whether her breast implants could be contributing to health problems that have persisted after doctors told her she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. On the 10 November episode of her podcast MeSsy, she said she had wondered whether the implants were leaking and making her ill.

The 54-year-old underwent a double mastectomy in 2008 after a breast cancer diagnosis and said she was overdue to have her implants replaced. Her comments do not establish that either implant has ruptured or caused her symptoms.

Why Applegate Is Questioning Her Breast Implants

Speaking to co-host Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Applegate said someone had sent her research about breast implant illness and its possible resemblance to multiple sclerosis. It prompted her to revisit a concern she said had been on her mind for years.

'What if they're leaking and they're poisoning me?' she said. She said the possibility had crossed her mind repeatedly over several years.

Applegate announced an MS diagnosis in 2021. In an October podcast episode, she said her doctor had since told her she did not have the condition and that the original diagnosis had been wrong.

The news did not bring relief from her symptoms. She has said the uncertainty makes it difficult to plan around symptoms that continue to disrupt everyday life. 'I'm back at square one where I don't know what's going on with me,' she said, describing the uncertainty of having no settled explanation for her condition.

What Doctors Know About Breast Implant Illness

The US Food and Drug Administration says patients and clinicians use the term breast implant illness, or BII, for a range of reported symptoms. These include fatigue, memory and concentration problems, joint and muscle pain, hair loss, weight changes, anxiety and depression.

The FDA says the causes of these symptoms and the extent to which they are connected to breast implants remain poorly understood. Breast implant illness is not a formally established medical diagnosis, and no definitive test can confirm it.

The FDA says breast implants are not lifetime devices and the likelihood of complications increases the longer they remain in place. Applegate's breast reconstruction reportedly involved saline-filled implants. If a saline implant ruptures, it typically deflates, causing a noticeable change in breast size. Silicone gel implants, by contrast, can rupture without obvious symptoms.

Suspecting an implant complication does not establish that an implant has ruptured or caused systemic illness. The FDA says silicone gel can escape through a rupture, usually remaining within the surrounding scar tissue, although it can sometimes migrate beyond it.

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Applegate Still Has No Explanation for Her Symptoms

Applegate has described continuing pain and mobility difficulties since the MS diagnosis was withdrawn. She has spoken about struggling to move her right shoulder and lift her arm, and needing time to get out of bed. She has also said she uses a wheelchair to reach medical appointments because walking from her car is difficult.

Doctors are exploring other possible explanations, including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Lyme disease, according to reports of her updates. She wants doctors to investigate what has been happening since 2021.

Her concerns about the implants remain speculative. She has not reported testing confirming a rupture or said she has decided to remove or replace them. The implants are one possible avenue she intends to investigate as she continues seeking answers about her symptoms.

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