Anyone ever just RIP a cast off?

[grinningghost]

I swear, I'm ready. This cast is pinching my foot so bad, and itching so bad, I'm honestly ready to just cut it off.

How does one deal with this for 4 weeks?

 

[Cindyluwho]

I think a Benadryl will help with the itching. It will probably make you a little drowsy so you won't care so much Good Luck!
OK, I just read on a website that a hairdryer set on the cool setting can help with the itching. And to NOT put anything in there, like baby powder etc, it can cause irritation and infection.

 

[SueM in MN]

Agree with the other poster.

But also, if it is pinching, you need to contact a doctor. Itching is common, but it should not be pinching you. There may be increased swelling someplace that is causing the pinching or some problem with the cast.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I haven't had a cast since I was 6 yo, but I can still remember the itching I didn't rip mine off, they cut it off with a huge power pizza cutter type thing which scared the heck out of me

Hang in their, if a 6 yo can manage, I'm sure you'll survive

oh...... I don't remember mine pinching, you might want the doc to check on that.

 

[LisaNJ25]

nope.. but I have taken my own stitches out.

 

[kandeebunny]

As a veteran of many casts (some for 12 weeks) I feel your pain. It should NOT be pinching at all. Call your doctor about that, the one time mine did, they removed it and recast me. Also what type of cast is it? I had a gortex (waterproof) cast once, and had an allergic reaction to the lining of it. Do you have any allergies such as latex? If you do this could be causing SOME of the itching. Whatever you do, do not stick ANYTHING down there, pens/pencils/chosticks/etc lol it is BAD and can rip the lining of the cast and you will then itch MORE.

 

[LadyAmongTramps]

I broke my arm when I was 18 and got really tired of wearing the cast after six weeks (I was supposed to wait one more week to get it off and we were at Disney World) and my dad pulled it off piece by piece with pliers in our motel room. My wrist still bothers me sometimes and I'm not sure if it's because he took it off a week too early or if it's because I didn't go to the doctor to get it rechecked when they took the cast off or what but I wouldn't take a cast off early again for anything.

 

[poohandwendy]

As a veteran of many casts (some for 12 weeks) I feel your pain. It should NOT be pinching at all. Call your doctor about that, the one time mine did, they removed it and recast me. Also what type of cast is it? I had a gortex (waterproof) cast once, and had an allergic reaction to the lining of it. Do you have any allergies such as latex? If you do this could be causing SOME of the itching. Whatever you do, do not stick ANYTHING down there, pens/pencils/chosticks/etc lol it is BAD and can rip the lining of the cast and you will then itch MORE.

I agree. If it is pinching you, it could be causing an open wound which is a risk for infection and there really is no way to know without removing it. I would definitely call the doctor and expect it to be recasted. (unless it is very close to being taken off completely-ie healed)

 

[tuckerkeys]

yup...did it last spring. got a cast & crutches. got home. took some pain pills, ripped it off & went to bed w/ an ice pack. i dont do casts well........i then wrapped it in an ace bandage when i woke and walked gingerly for a week.....while moving my house......and amped up on vicodins. it was just a hairline ankle fracture, but boy with the cast i got you'd think a truck ran over my foot! when i asked the doc what would have happened if i did not go to him he said it would have heeled, but slower ( than 8 weeks??) since I was not having the cast i got, i accepted a slower healing time. the weird thing was that after a week, it felt fine...... so, YES i have ripped apart a cast. i would get GOOD BIG scissors & go to it!!! it will feel SOOOOOO much better! and really, if it doesn't you can get a new one, or an air splint or something...good luck!

 

[RSoxFan]

My brother ripped his off once. He broke his finger playing football and wouldn't leave the splint on. After a month, the doctor put another splint on and then casted his whole arm to make sure he couldn't take it off. That lasted about two weeks. Then one night he took a screwdriver in the shower with him and ripped the cast to pieces.

 

[MichelleVW]

Thought about it but didn't. I was in a cast for 10 weeks after I had foot surgery and OMG I went crazy...I am really claustrophobic and the cast drove me insane....I would acutally get short of breath and wonder how I would make it another second in that thing.....it was awful...

 

[Samandmom]

My 6yr old is in a cast now. It's been only 9 days so far. I hope he don't start complaining of itching.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I know someone who did. In 6th grade, she just ripped her cast off her arm. She used a ruler and it took quite awhile. True story.

 

[Barb D]

I would call the doctor tonight about the pinching. It shouldn't be doing that.

 

[OK!]

No, but when I was in a full arm cast for 6 weeks in July in St. Louis where it was averaging like 95 degrees with upwards of 80% humidity, I darn sure wanted to! I was also driving a car with no a/c at the time, so I was terrified my arm would sweat and would start to stink; I became completely OCD about keeping everything as clean as possible. My dr. said he'd never seen a cast come in so clean after 6 weeks as mine was!

Agreed about calling the dr ASAP about the pinching; your cast should definitely not be causing that kind of problem. You may just need to have it reset, since a lot of casts can end up ill-fitting as a result of swelling (either decreasing or increasing, for whatever reason). I'd also probably never advocate removing it yourself.

 

[yeartolate]

If it is pinching, your foot may be swollen, Elevate your leg above heart level.

 

[grinningghost]

Thanks for all the advice and support. I called the doc about the pinching, and they told me to elevate it ALOT more than I have been. So I'm elevating.

The itching is intense, I think I'll try that hair dryer trick.

 

[yeartolate]

As far as the itching goes, pulling out the cotton so I cold scratch better was helpful. But apparently it leaves the orthopedist non plussed. (I did this several years back)


As a child, I had several full arm casts followed by many short arm casts over a course of 6 months. It was aways a surprise what popped out when they took it off.

I used every piece of a jack straws game to scratch that itch

The doctor nicely gather them up and told be if on the next cast they were there, he would not give them back. So with the next cast, I used by brothers pick up sticks.

 

[Tazicket]

I had a cast that went from just below my toes up to mid-thigh following my knee surgery. The surgery was right at the end of July (in Florida ) and I had to leave the cast on for 5 weeks. It didn't really get itchy until the end, but I didn't go outside very much at all. The skin looked so gross when they took off the cast!!!

Keep it elevated like they told you and look for activities you enjoy that you can do to take your mind off of it. (I enjoy true crime stuff, so I watched a lot of tv shows like that during recouperation). And with every day that passes, you'll be one day closer to getting it off!

Do you at least get to have a fun color? Mine was obnoxious dayglo yellow.

 

[Cantw8]

Thanks for all the advice and support. I called the doc about the pinching, and they told me to elevate it ALOT more than I have been. So I'm elevating.

The itching is intense, I think I'll try that hair dryer trick.

Whatever you do, don't use a knitting needle I got it lost in my cast