Mum with 'Alice in Wonderland syndrome' has bizarre symptoms

Meet the mum with Alice in Wonderland syndrome, which leaves her thinking her body is growing and time is "standing still". Layla Chester, 46, first experienced the bizarre symptoms after going to bed with a migraine during the pandemic.

When she woke up, her depth perception was distorted, which she described as like "looking through a telescope backwards". Her GP referred her to a neurologist and after extensive tests she was diagnosed with the rare condition in July 2020.

Alice in Wonderland syndrome - or Todd's syndrome - is a neurological condition that causes perceptual disturbances to sight, touch and time. Layla has been living with the syndrome - named after the experiences of Lewis Carroll's famous protagonist - for four years.

She claims that episodes can last up to a few hours and are triggered by migraines and tiredness. Layla, from Hereford, said she "literally feels the sensation" of her body expanding and had to sell her dream car in case it happened while driving.

She takes three tablets a day to manage her condition. But the mum-of-two admits she still "lives in fear" of an attack, which can leave her feelings "distressed, confused and embarrassed".

Laya, who works in a supermarket, said: "It's really hard to explain, but when an attack is triggered, it's awful. It literally feels like my body is growing and there's nothing I can do to stop it.

"I have no perception of distance, so I can't walk. I had to sell my dream car because I can't drive anymore in case it happens while I'm behind the wheel.

"My perception of time is also affected. I can be having a conversation and then suddenly it's like time has slowed down or stopped and I can't keep up with what's being said.

"It's like there's a delay on the phone and I'll answer questions behind time. I sometimes disassociate - I'll stare into space and it's like I'm completely gone. It's really scary and bizarre."

Layla, who is mum to Lewis, 23, and Ax, 18, said her life was "turned upside down" when she woke up one morning in July 2020 with distorted vision. Fearing she had a brain tumour, Layla consulted her GP, who was left "stumped" by her peculiar symptoms.

"I was convinced it was a tumour," Layla said. "It was during covid, so I had an over-the-phone appointment and my GP had no idea what was wrong with me. I was referred to a neurologist and after a brain scan and a lot of back and forth I was finally diagnosed with Alice in Wonderland syndrome."

Layla's Alice in Wonderland syndrome has had a huge impact on her life. She is no longer able to drive and her confidence and mental health have been seriously affected. Layla has no idea when an attack will occur, so she is constantly "on edge" just in case.

She said: "It's really embarrassing when it happens while I'm at work - I have to stop what I'm doing and sit down somewhere quiet and wait for it to pass. Sometimes when I walk down the aisles of the supermarket that I work in, it feels like the shelves are closing in on me.

"It feels so real. I once had an attack at my mum's house, where I thought I was growing and everything around me was shrinking, and to help calm me down my mum handed me a cup of tea in an Alice in Wonderland mug.

"That really freaked me out! Sometimes I experience olfactory hallucinations, which means I can smell something that's not there. I've woken up in the night thinking there's a fire, but there's nothing there."

Layla has since set up a TikTok account and built an online community for other people who also suffer from the syndrome. Layla said: "I set up a TikTok, and speaking to other people with Alice in Wonderland syndrome has really helped. I'm not going crazy, it's very real and isn't just happening to me."