Dr. Pimple Popper Reveals the ‘Weird' Symptom That Kept Her From Going to the ER During Her Stroke
Dr. Pimple Popper is opening up about one of the most frightening moments of her life. The dermatologist, whose real name is Dr. Sandra Lee, revealed that she experienced a stroke while filming her Lifetime series, Dr. Pimple Popper-and that she didn't immediately go to the ER because her first symptoms felt "weird" rather than urgent.
The reality star said it wasn't until the next morning, when she noticed weakness on the left side of her body, that she realized she was experiencing distinct stroke symptoms. Now, she's sharing her story to remind others that when it comes to strokes, every moment matters.
After reflecting on how she doesn't like sharing her personal life on the show, she realized this time, it couldn't have been avoided.
"I had symptoms that were weird the night after a taping, but it was not until the morning that I actually felt like I had distinct symptoms of a stroke," Dr. Lee shared in an Instagram post.
She described having "Weakness on the left side of my body, and that is why I didn't go to the ER until the next morning," she continued. "It did indeed happen while I was taping episodes of the television show. I hope you watched tonight. Like I said, this is a reality show, but this is a very personal one, and thankfully I'm doing well now."
Lee added, "There are certainly days that I forget about this and what has happened, and in the beginning, I was reminded every, almost every minute of the day. Anyone out there that has had a stroke, action is timely."
She went on to share some footage from the Monday night episode that featured what happened when she had a stroke and the confusion around it. At one point, she thought she was having a hot flash, but when she lost her balance and felt weakness on the left side of her body, the alarm bells began to ring.
Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Out airs on Monday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime.
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This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 7:12 AM.