I was in a job interview once.
I mean,
God - shhhhhhh.
Oh nooo.
It was so ugly.
Sorry, just like now, sorry.
You're good girl.
Ohhhhh.
First time I had one, I yelled at my husband.
I said what do you have the temperature
on in the house - 85 degrees?
I'm sweating here!
He goes, Marsha - it's 70 degrees in the
house.
(Laughter) And, pretty soon they're gonna have to wear
sweaters to the dinner table, cause I'm going like this and
everybody's shivering.
I like that.
All the time.
Yeh.
All the time now.
It's starts like inside and you feel like you are
an oven.
And, then you feel it, just trickling up, your face
gets bright red and then just start sweating.
And, my boyfriend will be with a beanie
hat on, scarf.
You know, he's like in a sweatshirt and I get
the fan, high speed.
I got it down to 68 degrees and I'm like
ahhhh, this feels so nice in here.
(Laughter) And, he's like freezing.
Oh my word - menopause.
Hot flashes, vaginal hygiene, all important issues we
need to discuss.
So, it's time now to separate fact from
fiction in part 3 of our 5-part series "Take Back the Bedroom"
as we ask the doctor.
Rejoining us on the show is Sexual
Medicine and Board Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist,
and our resident sexuality expert, Dr. Michael Krychman.
Welcome back!
Thanks for having me back.
It's wonderful to be here.
And, it's wonderful to talk about something that these
ladies are really suffering with - the oven, the heat.
I heard it when my mom went through
menopause.
I confess here, I have not experienced this yet,
but it's gonna happen.
Well, you better get ready.
I think it's important and one word that we
haven't heard is "the fire within."
The fire within.
The burning, the sweating, the
embarrassment.
But, another thing that's really important
that women don't talk about is the other symptoms.
The unspoken menopause.
The dryness, the problems with painful
intercourse.
I think that's really a taboo.
Women aren't talking about it.
It's kind of a conspiracy of silence.
Because they're embarrassed, they don't
wanna maybe share with their husbands - listen, it hurts down
there, I feel dry.
They're even embarrassed to speak with their
doctors.
And, that's why we wanna actually educate women
today about the fact that, like for example, I'm gonna ask you
this.
Women out there, women like me, I cleanse my hair, my
nails, my body, and the reality is - correct me if I'm wrong
doctor - I need to cleanse also my intimate area, my vagina.
Right, but just for clarification, you said it gets
dry down there.
And, women aren't saying the word.
It's the vagina, right?
And, we need to educate women that they need to
start talking about it.
And, it's really important you take
care of your face with special cleansers, and it's the same
thing.
I mean, the tissues in the vagina change.
They get dry, they get chafed, they get red,
they get irritated from the changes of hormones that you see
in menopause.
The decline in estrogen - it effects the whole
body, but particularly the vagina.
So, it's important to choose the right product for the
right area.
What cleanser should we look out for, and I'm
assuming the ingredients are huge.
Well, you're right, and I think it's really important for
women as they go to the store, to pickup that bottle and start
reading.
Yehhh, not be embarrassed!
Right, and spend some time there.
You know, they go quickly, they're embarrassed,
but it's really time to break that silence.
Look for products that have special ingredients,
like hyaluronic acid, which hydrates - it's moisturizing.
Or, things like elastin which helps elasticity.
Also, avoid certain chemicals that are
harsh, that may upset the natural barrier, the natural
oils that are protective.
Things like Lubrigyn are really great.
Here, you know, we're fast friends since we've been here
talking about sex all the time.
How about trying just little bit?
Let me see.
So, I would apply this on the outside of the
vagina?
Yes, definitely.
And, it's a cleansing lotion so you
can use it every single day.
OK.
And, you know, I have women in my office that use it for their
whole body.
Really.
Because during menopause you can have
hot flashes, you can have vaginal dryness, but your whole
body may also feel irritated.
So, a lot of women love this as a daily cleanser.
And, this helps moisturize the area that
is obviously affected because of menopause.
Definitely.
I mean, we see it, it's very common and
unfortunately it's a fact of life.
As women age and they go through the transition - even
you.
I know.
You're gonna experience this, so it's
sometimes helpful to be aware of products that are really safe,
effective, and really going to be helpful for women as they
transition through a very important part of their life.
Their gonna spend 40% of their life in the menopause.
That's a long time.
Very long time.
Now, my friends sometimes tell me
when you go through menopause, Olga, you know, you gotta be
commando in bed - it helps.
Others say: no cotton underwear, no polyester underwear.
I think commando is great for a variety
of reasons.
Some women, they feel that even the slightest
touch of fabric can be irritating to an already
sensitive, delicate area.
And, there's also a great study that
shows that men and women that sleep commando have more sex.
So, it's really important to think about that in the overall
scheme because you wanna keep the magic alive as you get older
into your golden years as well.
Absolutely.
Always love having you.
Where do we find out more about Lubrigyn?
You can find more information at
lubrigynusa.com.
Thank you so much.
And, you're coming back again right?
Yes definitely.
I'm learning so much.
I'm getting ready for this.
(Laughing) And, if you'd like more information
on Lubrigyn or this segment, go to our website, that's
thebalancingact.com.
(music)