Christina Applegate’s daughter, Sadie, is opening up about her own health struggles. During the Tuesday (June 25) episode of her mom’s MeSy podcast, the 52-year-old “Dead to Me” actress’ daughter shared that she has been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). This rare condition has significantly impacted her daily life.
“It affects my heart, and so 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,” Sadie, 13, shared. “I have fainted before, and I have gone unconscious.” Her description highlights the severity and unpredictability of her symptoms.
POTS, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a condition that “causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness, and fatigue.” Although there is no cure for POTS, various treatments and lifestyle changes can help manage its symptoms, offering hope for those affected.
Sadie revealed that although her official diagnosis came only a few months ago, she has been dealing with the condition for quite some time. Reflecting on her experiences, she recalled frequently visiting the school nurse in the sixth grade because she often felt like she was about to pass out. Despite her consistent complaints, the school attributed her symptoms to anxiety. “They wouldn’t do anything for it, and that definitely was hard, because I genuinely felt so sick, and I was in a lot of pain,” she admitted. “It definitely hurt me, physically and emotionally.”
She noted that her symptoms first appeared in 2020, a year marked by the global pandemic and significant changes in everyone’s lives. “Every time I stood up, I just felt like my whole world was just about to go crashing down and my vision would get blurry,” she shared, emphasizing how debilitating the condition has been for her.
Christina, who publicly revealed her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis in 2021, expressed her initial struggle to understand what Sadie was experiencing. “I feel very guilty because… I didn’t really understand what was happening with her,” Christina said. “I feel so horrible that we didn’t pay attention to it…I’d never heard of this either. I’m so sorry, Sadie Grace.” This heartfelt apology reflects a common challenge for parents trying to navigate their children’s health issues, especially when symptoms are not always visible at home.
Christina pointed out that Sadie’s symptoms often manifested outside the home, making it difficult to recognize the severity of her condition. “At home, you were fine,” Christina noted, comparing it to her own experience with MS. “It’s kind of like us. 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.”
In the podcast episode, Christina praised Sadie for her bravery in discussing her diagnosis publicly. “I hate it for you, my darling…and I’m here for you and I believe you,” Christina said. “And thank you for bringing this to light and bringing awareness. A lot of people don’t know about this.”
Sadie also shared that she suffers from misophonia, a disorder where specific sounds trigger strong emotional or physiological responses. “My two worst are breathing and chewing,” Sadie shared, highlighting the additional challenges she faces.
Despite the difficulties, Sadie’s own health struggles have fostered a deeper empathy for her mom’s journey with MS. “When my mom’s like, ‘I’m in pain right now. I’m having tremors.’ If I didn’t have [POTS], I probably would be like…I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I actually have tremors from POTS,” Sadie explained. “It’s definitely a lot easier to understand what she’s going through when I have something I’m going through as well.”
