FISHER PAYKEL ORACLE

I'd like to hear from anyone using this mask. I'd like to try it. Does it feel suffocating to have all the air going into your mouth? Does the air come right back out through your nose? if the person wearing a nasal mask who mouth breathes should tape the mouth shut so air doesn't escape, does the person using an oral mask need to tape the nose shut so air doesn't escape?
How does this work??
I need sleep and will try any mask that does the job.

With the Oracle you need to use nose plugs so the air DOES NOT escape through the nose. When I tried it when I had nose surgery, I couldn't handle it. Try breathing only through your mouth holding your nose closed or with a nose clip.

I was using the FP Zest nasla mask for a year and I wanted something less invasive. I had my DME get me a sample to try. When I tried it on at the DME, I seemed to adapt instantly. I wear a night gurad, because I grind my teeth, so I put my guard in and then put the mask on. There was not as much room in my mouth as there was when I tried it on earlier in the day! I slept about 3 hours and woke up, because there was not enough room for the Oracle and my night guard! So i went back to my Zest.
The next day I read the pamphlet that came with the Oracle and it specifically stated that if the patient has bruxism, (the proper term for grinding teeth), this mask should not be used! Boy, I felt duped by my DME and angry that they let me go through all of that and not say a word.

The Oracle works like a scuba diver mask. I also open my mouth when I sleep, but the Oracle almost prevents you from doing that, as it goes inside your mouth and your lips are the seal. My feeling is AIE. Attitude is Everything! I you want to succeed, one usually does. Hope this helped.

Hi Newname:

The F&P Oracle 2 mask is the only one I can tolerate so I've tried really hard to find all the adjustments necessary.
1) The air flows in and out of your mouth. The company supplies nose plugs to keep the nasal passage shut until you learn not to breath through your nose.

2) I personally hate the plugs supplied with the mask and have found my own solution to a comfortable way of keeping the nose closed. I got from my sleep doc some nose clips that gently press the nostrils closed and are quite comfortable. I 'solved' the problem by using a nose pinching device my doctor uses for patients having their respiratory capacity measured. This is a small horse-collar shaped device with pillows on one end. It gently compresses the nostrils and keeps the nose firmly closed.

Here is a pix of one:



3) I have also added a humidifier to my CPAP machine and extra humidity in the room where I sleep with the door closed. In the winter months, I set my humidity level to 5 but now, in the spring, I have scaled back to 4. Dry mouth is a problem but these measures keep it under control.

4) the Oracle mask comes with a strap that wraps around the back of the head/neck to help keep the mask in position. F&P literature suggests that this is optional and not really needed. I haven't used mine since about 2 days after starting and don't have problems with the mask staying put.

5) One issue you need to be careful of is the compression between the outer mask and the inner mask liner. The inner liner is inserted between the lips and the gums. This is the part that does the actual sealing of the air from the CPAP machine. There is an adjustable ring on the mask that lets you set the distance between the two parts. DO NOT assume that this distance should be small in order to assure a proper seal. You need to have this as loose as possible while still maintaining a seal. You'll have to experiment a little with the adjustment to get it right for you. Make it too close, and your lips will be quite uncomfortable in the morning. It takes a few days of fiddling with this adjustment to get it right for you.

6) Remember this is an oral appliance so good hygiene is to rinse the mask well in the morning when you get up. Remember to remove the little diffuser filter from the mask before rinsing. It just pops out - it may take a little encouragement the first time but after that it comes out easily. The mask separates from the short hose so do that when you rinse it in the morning. It makes it a little easier to keep clean.

7) You only get two different sizes of the inner 'snap flap' so try them both to find the one most comfortable.

I use a hose support over my bed so the hose goes directly up and not down. With this mask, its a good idea to not have it being dragged by the hose snagging on stuff, especially if you chose to not use the optional strap.

Hope this helps.

Nothing has been posted here for a while but I thought I would give my input. I have used this mask for 3 nights now and like it more than any mask I have tried before (I have tried 4 masks before this one) And calling it a mask almost seems silly because it simply just goes in your mouth. Feel claustrophobic with the full face mask was a huge issue with me, and with this mask that problem is non existant. Also, I wear glasses so it is nice to have it on laying in bed and be able to watch tv or read at the same time. I couldn't do that with a full mask, or even a only nasal mask.

The first night I wore it I tried it without the strap around my neck and it was hard. It felt like I was having to big down on the inner piece so my mouth got tired and it almost felt like a workout for my mouth. But with the strap the problem went away. The only issue I have in m y nose. When I am away I can make sure I am only breathing through my mouth but I am pretty sure once I fall asleep that power goes away and I lose a lot of air flow through my nose. The plugs they sent you are worthless in my opinion and no sizes really fit in my nose (Maybe I just have a really weirdly shaped nose. Who NOSE ) But I plan on going to Dick's Sporting Goods tomorrow and purchasing a pair of noseclips for swimmers there like the post above me suggests. I am confident once I have my nose problem fixed this mask will be the savior of my sleep!

No, No, No.

You'll hate the swimmer's nose clip.
Please read my post on using this mask ( see the link down at the bottom in the signature section ).
Unless your nose unusually broad or flat, the clip I show will do the trick just fine.
It is the same clip that pulmonologist use when doing the pulmonary function test (PTF) and you should be able to convince your doc to give you one at no cost.

After a while, you do learn to not breathe through your nose at all. Even when my max pressure pops up to 25 cm H2O, there are no nose leaks.

Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.