Edgar Allen Poe suffered claustrophobia and MUSES SYNDROME, a specific kind of toxic poisoning characterized by multiple chemical sensitivity and acute hypersensitivity to stimuli (sensory defensiveness) that comes from carbon dioxide (CO) poisoning. As toxicity will affect balance, it’s likely that his claustrophobia, which inspired tales like “The Premature Burial” and “The Black Cat,” was tied to the CO poisoning.

Information taken from Anxiety: Hidden Causes.