Doctors said my dizzy spells were just panic attacks – it turned out to be the early warning sign of a paralysing nerve condition that’s hitting thousands of healthy young people like me
For three years, Charlotte Wright’s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about – until the terrifying truth was revealed.
The student from Bolton was about to turn 19 when she began to experience strange health problems.
These ranged from brain fog to a loss of sensation in her face, as well as bouts of vertigo – severe dizzy spells.
However, Charlotte’s most distressing symptom was night-time seizures – where her muscles would stiffen, her limbs would jerk and she would lose consciousness.
Unsurprisingly, the seizures terrified Charlotte and her family. But perhaps the most surprising response was that of her GP: who put her symptoms down to anxiety.
It would take several more months for Charlotte to find out that the cause of her symptoms was multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable neurological condition that affects around 150,000 in the UK.
MS occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating around the body’s nerves – called myelin – damaging the brain and spinal cord.
It slowly strips patients of their mobility and bodily functions – and experts say it’s on the rise.
For three years, Charlotte Wright’s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about – until the terrifying truth was revealed.
Between 2000 and 2020, the number of multiple sclerosis patients in the UK doubled, rising from fewer than 100,000 to 190,000.
Every year, the number of UK patients living with the condition, also known as MS, rises by around six per cent, according to research.
Doctors are also increasingly concerned that more younger people, like Charlotte, are being diagnosed.
Yet, despite this rise, experts say that many GPs are unaware of the early symptoms of MS, meaning patients often go undiagnosed for months or even years – potentially worsening their long-term health as studies show early treatment can slow the progression of MS.
This was the case for Charlotte, now 31, who would not get an MS diagnosis for several years after she first saw her GP.
Starting in 2012, her seizures would happen at least once a month.
‘Usually after I’d had a few days in a row where I’d gone to sleep late,’ she says. ‘At first I thought it was epilepsy as I have family members with the condition.’
Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that triggers recurring, unprovoked seizures. It’s usually occurs due to abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain.
However, when Charlotte visited her GP she was told that it was unlikely to be epilepsy. Instead, her GP explained that her seizures were likely panic attacks brought on by anxiety.
Charlotte was prescribed antidepressant tablets which she was told would ease her anxiety. However, she says she was immediately sceptical of this diagnosis.
‘I put the prescription in the bin,’ she says. It was thanks to Charlotte’s mother, Diane, that she was eventually diagnosed with MS.
Charlotte, now 31, who would not get an MS diagnosis for several years after she first saw her GP.
Today, Charlotte now relies on a wheelchair as she no longer has full function of her legs. She says she often feels like a prisoner in her own home.
After years of back and forth with doctors, in 2014, Diane put Charlotte’s symptoms into the NHS symptoms checker – an online tool which directs patients to the correct healthcare professional.
Concerningly, it concluded that Charlotte had suffered a stroke – where a blood clot forms in the brain. As a result, Diane rushed Charlotte to A&E.
It was a life-changing decision. Scans in hospital revealed that Charlotte had, in fact, not suffered a stroke. Instead, they revealed signs of MS in her brain and spinal cord.
She was eventually diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS – the most common form of the disease, where symptoms come and go.
Charlotte says she was initially surprised at her diagnosis.
‘I had heard of MS beforehand,’ she says. ‘But I don’t have any family members who have it.’
Experts say that seizures are not a frequently-seen symptom of MS.
‘While seizures can occur in people with multiple sclerosis, they are a relatively uncommon presentation and individual circumstances can vary significantly,’ says Ruth Stross, director of services at The MS Trust.
However, experts agree that – with MS cases on the rise – it is crucial that patients and GPs familiarise themselves with the early symptoms.
These typically include vision problems, muscle weakness, numbness and fatigue.
Some patients may also experience changes in bladder habits, an electric-shock sensation down the spine or limbs, or even dizzy spells.
Experts say these symptoms tend to come and go, or worsen over time.
Charlotte was placed on a number of prescription medicines including ocrelizumab, a twice-yearly infusion that can slow the progression of MS.
However, over the years, Charlotte has grown increasingly disabled.
Today, she now relies on a wheelchair as she no longer has full function of her legs. Charlotte says she often feels like a prisoner in her own home – and questions whether earlier treatment could have preserved her mobility.
‘I remember not really being able to go out by myself and sitting on the back doorstep just crying,’ she says.
‘I think people need to be aware of the heartache that is caused by MS. Sometimes, I don’t have the energy to speak. It gets me down. It’s an everyday battle that can’t be cured.’
