A MUM plagued by rare 'Alice in Wonderland syndrome' feels like her body is swelling while the world around her shrinks and time is "standing still". Alice in Wonderland syndrome , or Todd's syndrome, is a neurological condition that causes perceptual disturbances to sight, touch, and time. Named after the famous children's storybook, the rare syndrome can make things look and feel larger or smaller than they actually are and distort your sense of reality.
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 "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.
Layla has been living with the syndrome - named after the experiences of Lewis Carol's famous protagonist - for four years. 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 She claims that episodes can last up to a few hours and are triggered by migraines and tiredness.
Layla says she "literally feels the sensation" of her body expanding. The mum-of-two had to sell her dream car in case an attack came on while driving . She takes three tablets a day to manage her condition, but Layla admits she still "lives in fear" of an attack, which can leave her feeli.