{"id":9681,"date":"2026-05-24T05:58:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T05:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=9681"},"modified":"2026-05-24T05:58:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T05:58:52","slug":"doctors-said-my-dizzy-spells-were-just-panic-attacks-it-turned-out-to-be-the-early-warning-sign-of-a-paralysing-nerve-condition-thats-hitting-thousands-of-healthy-young-people-like-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/?p=9681","title":{"rendered":"Doctors said my dizzy spells were just panic attacks &#8211; it turned out to be the early warning sign of a paralysing nerve condition that&#8217;s hitting thousands of healthy young people like me"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div itemprop=\"articleBody\">\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">For three years, Charlotte Wright\u2019s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about \u2013 until the terrifying truth was revealed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">The student was about to turn 19 when she began to experience strange health problems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">These ranged from brain fog to a loss of sensation in her face, as well as bouts of vertigo \u2013 severe dizzy spells.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mol-bullets-with-font\">\n<li class=\"\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">Train your brain to be 18 years younger, learn your real brain age &#8211; and fight off dementia. Our expert brain health guide is FREE in <\/span><a style=\"font-weight: bold;\" class=\"\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/link.news.dailymail.co.uk\/join\/4w5\/health-sign-up?utm_source=dailymail.co.uk&amp;utm_medium=organic_editorial&amp;utm_campaign=conversion_newsletter&amp;utm_term=health_blob&amp;utm_budgetpot=organic\"><span class=\"mol-style-bold\">the Your Health newsletter\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, Charlotte\u2019s most distressing symptom was night-time seizures \u2013 where she would wake up with nausea and deja vu, the sensation that a current experience has happened before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Unsurprisingly, the seizures concerned Charlotte and her family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, the response from her GP couldn\u2019t have been more contrasting: he put her symptoms down to anxiety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It would take several more months for Charlotte to find out that the cause was multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable neurological condition that affects around 150,000 in the UK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">MS occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the protective coating around the body\u2019s nerves \u2013 called myelin \u2013 damaging the brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It slowly strips patients of their mobility and bodily functions \u2013 and experts say it\u2019s on the rise.<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-d7a024fb5727467a\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/05\/19\/11\/108715141-15830469-For_three_years_Charlotte_Wright_s_confusing_symptoms_were_dismi-m-35_1779187833659.jpg\" height=\"1080\" width=\"634\" alt=\"For three years, Charlotte Wright\u2019s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about \u2013 until the terrifying truth was revealed.\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">For three years, Charlotte Wright\u2019s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about \u2013 until the terrifying truth was revealed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Between 2000 and 2020, the number of multiple sclerosis patients in the UK have\u00a0risen from fewer than 100,000 to 150,000, with the number living with the condition rising by around six per cent a year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Doctors are also increasingly concerned that more younger people, like Charlotte, are being diagnosed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Yet despite this, experts say many GPs are unaware of the early symptoms of MS, meaning patients often go undiagnosed for months or even years. With studies shwoing early treatment can slow the progression pf the condition, this potentially worsenens their long-term health.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">This was the case for Charlotte, now 31, who would not get an MS diagnosis for several years after that first meeting with her GP.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Starting in 2012, her seizures would happen at least once a month. \u2018Usually after I\u2019d had a few days in a row where I\u2019d gone to sleep late,\u2019 she says. \u2018At first I thought it was epilepsy as I have family members with the condition.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that triggers recurring, unprovoked seizures. It\u2019s usually occurs due to abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, when Charlotte visited her GP she was told that it was unlikely to be epilepsy. Instead, her GP explained that her seizures were probably panic attacks brought on by anxiety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She was prescribed antidepressant tablets which she was told would ease her anxiety. However, she says she was immediately sceptical of this diagnosis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u2018I put the prescription in the bin,\u2019 she says. It was thanks to Charlotte\u2019s mother, Diane, that she was eventually diagnosed with MS.<\/p>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-5d5f7b5e9185206d\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/05\/19\/11\/108715139-15830469-Charlotte_now_31_who_would_not_get_an_MS_diagnosis_for_several_y-m-33_1779187801620.jpg\" height=\"955\" width=\"634\" alt=\"Charlotte did not get an MS diagnosis for several years after she first saw her GP\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">Charlotte did not get an MS diagnosis for several years after she first saw her GP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"artSplitter mol-img-group\" style=\"\">\n<div class=\"mol-img\">\n<div class=\"image-wrap\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"i-47c299ad22cd30b\" src=\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/05\/19\/11\/108715143-15830469-Today_Charlotte_now_relies_on_a_wheelchair_as_she_no_longer_has_-m-34_1779187813659.jpg\" height=\"1130\" width=\"634\" alt=\"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\" class=\"blkBorder img-share\" style=\"max-width:100%\" loading=\"lazy\" \/> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"imageCaption\">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<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">After years of back and forth with doctors, in 2014, Diane put Charlotte\u2019s symptoms into the NHS symptoms checker \u2013 an online tool which directs patients to the correct healthcare professional.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Concerningly, it concluded that Charlotte, from Accrington, Lancashire, had suffered a stroke \u2013 where a blood clot forms in the brain. As a result, Diane took Charlotte to A&amp;E.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">It was a life-changing decision. Scans in hospital revealed that Charlotte had not suffered a stroke. Instead, they revealed signs of MS in her brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">She was eventually diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS \u2013 the most common form of the disease, where symptoms come and go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Charlotte says she was initially surprised at her diagnosis. \u2018I had heard of MS beforehand,\u2019 she says. \u2018But I don\u2019t have any family members who have it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Experts say that seizures are not a frequently seen symptom of MS. \u2018While seizures can occur in people with multiple sclerosis, they are a relatively uncommon presentation and individual circumstances can vary significantly,\u2019 says Ruth Stross, director of services at The MS Trust.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, experts agree that, with MS cases on the rise, it is crucial that patients and GPs familiarise themselves with the early symptoms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Experts say these symptoms tend to come and go, or worsen over time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">Charlotte was placed on a number of prescription medicines including ocrelizumab, a twice-yearly infusion that can slow the progression of MS.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">However, over the years, Charlotte has grown increasingly disabled. 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 \u2013 and questions whether earlier treatment could have preserved her mobility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u2018I remember not really being able to go out by myself and sitting on the back doorstep just crying,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mol-para-with-font\">\u2018I think people need to be aware of the heartache that is caused by MS. Sometimes, I don\u2019t have the energy to speak. It gets me down. It\u2019s an everyday battle that can\u2019t be cured.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For three years, Charlotte Wright\u2019s confusing symptoms were dismissed as nothing to worry about \u2013 until the terrifying truth was revealed. The student 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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bunyad_sub_title":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[520],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthoptibody.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}