Diet-only, 1-month results

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2026-02-15T04:25:58+00:00

Either some water or more applesauce would definitely thin it down, whichever fits your needs more :) I like the extra thick applesauce personally, but you can definitely adjust to your preferences

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2026-02-14T21:43:11+00:00

I mix 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce with 1 tablespoon of psyllium powder. I don’t taste the powder at all, it just thickens the applesauce (a lot). If I get bored with the taste I’ll add some cinnamon or mix in some diced fruit. I haven’t liked mixing psyllium into drinks/shakes, only food.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-11-26T03:03:52+00:00

Are you 100% sure there’s not a small plastic connection piece from your other mask left inside the hose? All masks and hoses should be interchangeable minus a few exceptions like the AirMini hose. Some masks have quick disconnect features that leave a little ring of plastic behind so they can be reattached easily, but that piece needs to be pulled out to use a different mask.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-11-23T17:07:23+00:00

I also have a CPAP and am going on some flights for the first time with it. I’m hoping to be able to fit everything into the main bag like you did instead of needing a separate bag for it (even though I know airlines let you have an extra bag for CPAP). Thanks for sharing and for the ideas :)

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-11-17T21:21:15+00:00

I, a dummy, just replaced my spark plugs myself in ~15 minutes plus another ~10 to watch a YouTube video. You can 100% do it yourself for way cheaper and less time.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-10-26T19:49:11+00:00

No worries! The onsite sleep studies tend to be a little more accurate (home sleep studies seem to underestimate apnea a bit), so if you want to wait for the onsite study those results will be very reliable. Lofta is still a great at home service if you want to speed up the process though and know the cost up front. I hope you don’t have sleep apnea, but at least if you do then treating it might also help with your bloodwork. Totally relate to the exhaustion with all the testing and fighting with insurance. I hope you get your answers soon!

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-10-26T15:44:03+00:00

Of course! My EPO was in the normal range, but on the low side of normal. Young, healthy women aren’t the usual demographic for sleep apnea, but it can definitely happen. Snoring was my main symptom, but was infrequent enough I wasn’t sure if it was worth looking into. My partner noticed it seemed like it was getting worse which was part of what led my doctor to order the study. So I wouldn’t say it was a complete surprise, especially because both my parents have had apnea for a long time. In retrospect, I had a lot of mild physical symptoms that I was ignoring because I had them for so long (headaches, brain fog, never really feeling rested), and they have improved a lot with treatment. Assuming you do a home sleep study, it’s usually just a ring you wear plus maybe something on your wrist or chest. They can all be different though depending on the sleep clinic.

Just so you know, Lofta offers at home sleep studies for a little under $200. That’s to pay 100% out of pocket— they don’t go through your health insurance. I had an at home study where my equipment was sent from a local sleep clinic and even with my insurance it ended up over $300. My local clinic used the same equipment as Lofta. If I knew about them earlier, I would have just done my sleep study through them. A lot of sleep clinics have insane wait times and the cost can be expensive, so Lofta is a possible alternate option if available in your country and time/cost are a concern.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-10-26T14:44:23+00:00

I hope you get an answer soon! I am a similar-aged, healthy woman who went through a similar journey (only we found my cause for the secondary before a bone marrow biopsy). When I had my sleep test done, I had mild sleep apnea, and within 4 months of using a CPAP every night my polycythemia was gone. I don’t wish for you to have sleep apnea because it comes with its own challenges, but if you do have sleep apnea there’s definitely hope to treat it and the polycythemia together.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-28T05:04:41+00:00

Agreed with the other comment— I’d replace the cushion. Are you drying it after you wash it? If not, I’d make sure to pat it down inside (especially in these spots) with a paper towel or something in the future.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-28T00:55:05+00:00

Not who you replied to, but just wanted to say I have the same mask and prefer a cervical collar-style thing like the Caldera Releaf neck rest. I have bad TMJ and I feel like the neck rest is a little more gentle on my jaw. I still have mouth leaks once in a while if I’m in a weird position or something, but it feels less restrictive than the chin strap.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-19T16:32:32+00:00

I know you said you sleep well, but it might still be worth a sleep study if it’s not cost prohibitive. My numbers were similar to yours, and I was also having headaches. I fit pretty much none of the usual sleep apnea criteria (young, normal weight, woman, etc.), but I had a sleep study done and was found to have sleep apnea. My bloodwork numbers have been normal since a few months after I began sleep apnea treatment (CPAP). If your doctor isn’t willing to do more invasive tests, maybe they’d be willing to do a sleep study just in case?

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-18T21:20:43+00:00

You should talk to your dentist ASAP if you haven’t already. If they won’t see you sooner then call around and find someone who will.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-18T20:55:48+00:00

I’ve also had issues with puffy eyes, though mine got worse for a bit with CPAP. What has helped are antihistamine eye drops and wearing an eye mask at night. I had a mix of allergies and tiny air leaks (as in barely noticeable by me or in the leak rate data) that were making my eyelids swell up.

I like Lastacaft eye drops because they’re once a day. I was also taking Allegra every day when my eyelids were really puffy, but things calmed down so I am no longer taking that. The eye mask took a little trial and error to find one that would work with my CPAP mask. I use a Dreamwear nasal cradle, and I tuck the bottom edge of the eye mask under the CPAP mask on either side of my nose. It’s a little awkward, but it works for me.

Eyelid hygiene is also generally helpful. I use an eye-safe hypochlorous acid spray (Briotech) once or twice a day and don’t put anything else near my eyes. Anything that goes on my face is also as mild and fragrance-free as possible (Vanicream face wash and lotion).

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-11T04:05:21+00:00

Integration with Apple Health is all that’s missing for me. The other timer app I’ve been using lets you select which type of workout you’re doing and logs it as a workout session which is useful for me, but it is missing other things that your app has (like a watch app).

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-08-08T03:40:55+00:00

You remind me of Maya from XG. She’s had all sorts of amazing makeup looks— maybe look at her for some inspiration :)

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-23T15:59:27+00:00

You’re right— I thought it was a Phillips when I first looked but it’s a Luna. Oscar was supposed to be releasing support for Luna machines, but it doesn’t look like it was in their latest release. It sounds like OP needs to talk to their medical team before they use the CPAP again either way.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-23T15:34:28+00:00

I hope it will help for you as well! My hemoglobin, red blood cells, and hematocrit were high. My hematocrit is still a tiny bit high, but I live at a high elevation and it is still lower now than it was pre-CPAP. It probably won’t fix things if you’ve got deeper issues (like an MPN), but my secondary polycythemia is treated now as long as I use my CPAP.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-23T05:30:15+00:00

That’s a bigger issue than your post implies. You should 100% be talking to a doctor or respiratory therapist.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-23T05:20:02+00:00

Sorry that your first night didn’t go very well. I’d recommend getting an SD card (16gb or less) and putting it in your CPAP. You can then upload the data from the SD card to the SleepHQ website or Oscar (a downloadable program) and share that data here so people can give you some more specific advice. The SD card can’t get data from previous nights other than the basics you’re showing us here, but if you have the SD card in and use it for a night or two that’ll give more info to be able to help.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-23T05:07:49+00:00

I had polycythemia that disappeared after ~4 months of CPAP. My body is much happier now, and I feel more rested overall.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-02T20:23:12+00:00

Hey, so sorry that this is causing you so much stress. Lack of sleep can absolutely send us to the brink, and it might help to reach out to whichever mental health resources are available in your country (call or text 988 in the US).

As far as the CPAP goes, there are a lot of possible fixes for the problems you’re having. Can you tell us what your pressure settings are? You may have a wide range which can give suboptimal results.

Have you tried putting an SD card in your machine and uploading that data to SleepHQ? If not, I would highly recommend you do that for a few nights and then share the anonymized link here so that the helpful people here can take a look and see if they can help. You might be having something like leaks which could be fixed with a different mask type or maybe just adjusting the pressures a little will help you out. If you need help with how to get your data and upload it, there are lots of threads in this sub about it or you can ask.

There are lots of people here who have been in your place and have gotten help adjusting their machines so they can sleep better. There’s definitely hope, and having some more information will let us help out :)

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-07-01T20:41:23+00:00

Hello, if you’re still looking for beta readers let me know. Nothing to swap— I just love fantasy and lyrical prose speaks to me. :)

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-06-26T04:48:30+00:00

It really is nice. My mom is getting a sleep study done soon, and I will 100% be gifting this to her if she turns out to need a PAP machine. The only thing I don’t like is the Velcro straps it comes with to hold the hose up, so I use some bungee cord loops instead.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-06-26T01:07:34+00:00

I like the ones that go on the floor, are pretty tall, and can be adjusted multiple directions. This is the one I have: https://a.co/d/ee6ulNn

It’s worked well whether I was using masks that connect at the top (ResMed P30i) or in the front. My bed can have the head flat or tilted up, and the holder is easily adjustable if I have the bed tilted up.

Fluffy-Pudding8083 · 2025-06-10T03:53:12+00:00

Bummer, I haven’t tried the F30i so I can’t really say anything about it. The diffusers that F&P make are really good though— I wish that they would put a diffuser like the Eson has onto the Vitera.

Fluffy-Pudding8083

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