Cast Claustrophobia

I think I have this:

Cast claustrophobia, also known as cast anxiety (CA), is a real condition that can cause extreme distress and anxiety while wearing a cast. It can be characterized by feelings of constriction and immobilization, and can even impede the healing process. Some patients may also experience pain, panic attacks, or thoughts of removing the cast.

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That is me, with the daily panic attacks. It started right after I received the new cast, and it has gotten worse every day. I felt terrible all day yesterday. Multiple times I felt I could not breathe and felt nauseous. The current panic attack started about eight hours ago and has prevented me from sleeping. There is no way I can make it through weeks of this. I tried some breathing exercises with no avail,a nd I really do not want to go to therapy or take anti-anxiety medications due to the cast.

There has to be a better way.

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Okay, super weird. After posting the above, I tried to take a nap. I was unsuccessful all morning, but I guess I was super tired. I managed to fall asleep for less than 20 minutes and when I woke up, all the hot/fold sensations were gone, and I could breathe normally. I did take a Norco 5/325 pill beforehand since I felt a neuropathy attack coming on the little toe on my right foot. Was it because I fell asleep? However, I woke up at 3:00 pm with my back burning. Did Norco block some kind of neurotransmitter? Was it hydrocodone or can just Tylenol work? I guess I will just have to wait to see if the symptoms come back. My right foot still feels like crap inside the cast though. That did not change.