Oracle2 oral mask First Night Post Mortem

[WestCoastCdnGrl]

Well, what can I say?

Last night was the first night of my "new" (to me) Oracle2 oral mask.

Have been wanting to try this mask for a while, as I've had problems with the Quattro and Quattro FX full face masks (leaks and intrusive farts all night long... am also a mouth breather with allergies and sinus problems so a nasal mask/pillows are not suitable) and recently found it online here in England at a "CPAP equipment swap" type message board. Used or not, I figured that I couldn't go wrong for £38.50 (USD 59$) including postage, as the MSRP at the UK DMEs is £99 - £172 (USD 152$ - 263$), plus I'd have to go and see my local GP for a referral and possibly a(nother) sleep study if I wanted to order locally (my dx is from Canada and not readily accepted here in the UK).

The mask arrived yesterday afternoon. I gave it a quick wash and got it ready to use last night (as soon as I opened the box I knew that it didn't come from a scent free home and whilst the ad said "only used once," I have my doubts in that regard as well... am a little irritated about this, but given the price I paid was more than reasonable for a "used" item, I'm not about to make a big fuss with the person who sold it to me, but I will remember to ask future sellers about their smoking/perfume habits in the future before I consider buying used).

Fast forward to bedtime... I put in the nose plugs and inserted the mouth piece and went to sleep.

I've read reviews where people had a hard time adapting to the mask being in their mouth... I did a quick trial run for fit during the day and found that the SMALL size soft seal cushion fit better than the Large size (which totally stoked my ego, seeing as I'm an irregular size and most "one size fits most" things don't fit me very well, if at all). Through the night, I found that I had none of the problems (excess saliva production etc) that some reviewers reported - perhaps it's because I really want this mask to work and perhaps it's because I'm also a SCUBA diver (the Oracle isn't unlike a SCUBA regulator) but other than a bit of minor lip irritation (which I thought was chapping/cracking of skin but turned out to be an itch) it was easy. If anything, I had problems adjusting to the supplied nose plug - they can be difficult to place properly, and if you have a chronically runny nose like I do, it can get a little messy trying to adjust them - so I'm off to find some swimmer's nose plugs today. The nose plug fit was odd, and while they've been out of my nose for almost 2 hours now, I can still feel the sensation of them in my nose.

Anyway, here's the preliminary results from last night. I haven't gone in to look at the specific details off of the memory card, as my MacBook doesn't have a card reader and I can't be bothered to boot up my husband's laptop just yet.

Usage: 5.5 hours

This is fairly good for me, as I'd only recently been able to manage 0.5 - 2 hours with the Quattro FX because of leak/face fart issues, when I'd been bothered to use it (my compliance rate has been very bad since New Year). I did wake up once during the night last night and took the mask off for about a half hour, but I've taken to waking up in the middle of the night (to check the hockey score) and I consciously removed the mask myself as opposed to unconsciously removing it as I'd done in the past, so this mid-sleep wakefulness is not a new occurance.


Mask Fit: (closest approximation I could get to the Green smiley face on the ResMed display screen).

I had absolutely no problems with fit or leak with the new mask, other than the leak that came with the problems I had with fitting the nose plug and my runny nose, but that will hopefully be remedied today.

I also did not use the supplied headgear that came with the mask and still achieved a good, leak free fit... I am not a big fan of head gear at the best of times and part of this mask's appeal to me is the fact that it can be used without it (Husband has a bizarre cheek pulling fetish and likes that there is very little cheek coverage with this mask).



AHI: 1.8

I am very pleased with this result... I had to check it several times to make sure that what I was reading was indeed the numbers on the screen. With the Quattro masks, the best AHI reading that I had ever been able to manage was a 4 and the average ranged from about 5-8... the last pre-Oracle reading I got was a 7.x from 2 nights ago.



Overall Feeling upon waking: Refreshed

In spite of the early wake up (6am) and the comparatively short amount of sleep last night, I'm feeling good this morning... almost as good as the morning after the first night I got my machine back in 2010.



Verdict: I'm liking this mask and am very hopeful that it will be a good fit for me in the long run.

Husband likes the mask too - no more stream of vented air keeping him awake at night or hitting him in the face while he sleeps - and he hopes that it will help me stay compliant with therapy.


I'm going to give it a month of regular nightly use and if the results stay the same or improve, I'll shell out for a factory new mask from our hosts and keep this current mask as a spare... I'm planning a trip back to Canada this summer/fall and can have it shipped duty free to my parents' place in Vancouver for way less than what it would cost me to have it shipped here (mind you, even with shipping, the mask is still cheaper to buy from our Hosts than from within the UK... thank Goodness for a strong exchange rate!)

[archangle]

Good luck.

Try to get by without the nose plugs. Put the mask on, turn on the machine and blow back into it while imagining you're inflating a balloon. This will trigger your reflex to close off your nose with your soft palate. Then try to relax and let the air pressure keep your soft palate closed and keep air coming out of your nose.

I was able to keep my nose sealed off, but was too uncomfortable with the dry air in my throat and the feeling of not breathing through the nose to sleep with it.

When I got a used oracle mask, I disassembled it, washed it in the dishwasher, and then dropped the mask parts (minus headgear and the short hose) into a big pot of water that I had just boiled and turned the water off. I then let it sit until the water cooled. I waited until the water cooled to 70C before putting the hose in.

The official F&P instructions say not to dishwash and specify 80C temperature.

[zoocrewphoto]

Thank you for your review. I had considered it last May when I was looking to try a second mask, but then I saw that it had a piece that looked similar to a pacifier that would go inside the mouth. It looks like that piece has been reduced. I just checked the link, and the photo is different and the description mentions that there is no longer a piece on the tongue. I am interested in trying it. I will have to see how soon I can get another mask. I just ordered a new mask last month so that I could have a full backup. I was allowed to get a second mask a month into cpap treatment, so I might not have to wait long to get another mask. I'm happy with my quattro fx, but I also know that I do not breathe through my nose at night, so this could be a nice option.

[sleepapnea123]

Great to see you have a good first night with the Oracle. It can only get better from here as you get accustomed to the mask and bring down Nose leaks.

[JDS74]

Congratulations on your first night with the Oracle 2.

You may be able to learn how to use the mask without the nose plugs and then it will be much more comfortable.

My only caution is to not over tighten the adjuster that controls the distance between the inner flap and the outer flap.
Too tight and it gets uncomfortable and doesn't improve leak control.