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Gabrielle Union-Wade has never been someone who keeps the hard parts of life off-limits. The actress, producer and author has spoken openly about motherhood, identity and reinvention, so it makes sense that she\u2019s bringing that same honesty to menopause, too. In a new episode of The Beauty Authority,<\/em> Union-Wade joins host Tatiana Bido and Grand Rapids, MI OBGYN Diana Bitner, MD to talk about hot flashes, the stigma that still surrounds them and why women deserve more than a shrug and a \u201cpush through it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think anything really prepares you for it\u2014it\u2019s a heat that you cannot cool. It\u2019s this internal flame,\u201d Union-Wade shared about her first hot flash experience. \u201cAnd I felt instantly embarrassed and ashamed.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s not just the discomfort, she says; it\u2019s the way the symptoms can make you feel exposed in your own body. Talking about it, though, really helped. \u201cThe more I learned and the more doctors I spoke to and the more friends I was able to talk to about this, the more I felt empowered to actually tell the truth to my doctor about what I was experiencing.\u201d<\/p>\n For women who want relief but are looking for a nonhormonal path, Dr. Bitner highlights Lynkuet, a nonhormonal, FDA-approved prescription option for moderate to severe hot flashes. \u201cIt works in the brain to stop a hot flash,\u201d she explains, adding that it targets symptoms \u201cat the core of where hot flashes start.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr. Bitner also notes that results can show up sooner than many women expect. \u201cA good percentage of women experience benefit in the first week and certainly by the first 12 weeks in clinical trials,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The star says learning her options helped her stop viewing symptoms as something she was meant to tolerate. \u201cOnce I started looking at all of the options, after talking to my doctor, I was like, wait, hold on,\u201d says Union-Wade. \u201cThere is an option that feels great for me. Safe for me.\u201d<\/p>\n She\u2019s also clear that menopause is not a one-size-fits-all experience. \u201cNo two menopause journeys are the same. No two hot flashes are the same,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s one message the actress wants women to take away, it\u2019s that menopause isn\u2019t the issue\u2014isolation is. \u201cMenopause isn\u2019t the problem. It\u2019s the lack of conversation. That\u2019s the problem,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n And for anyone quietly struggling, she makes it simple: \u201cThat you\u2019re not alone. There\u2019s nothing wrong with you. This is a normal, natural shift in life, you know? And there\u2019s options.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe symptom no one prepared her for<\/strong><\/h2>\n
A nonhormonal option worth knowing about<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The turning point in her menopause journey<\/strong><\/h2>\n
The conversation women deserve to be having<\/strong><\/h2>\n