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Depo Provera Hormone Injection: How to Stay Healthy While Taking It

Depo Provera

Depo Provera is an alternative form of birth control for women who do not want to have to remember to take the pill each day. If they forget to take the pill, they risk pregnancy, unless they used a back up method of birth control. Depo Provera is a hormone injection that is administered once every three months. It does not require any further attention until the end of the three month period. Depo Provera can help to protect women from certain cancers and it is effective 24 hours after it has been administered. For all its convenience though, Depo Provera has some side effects that women should be aware of before they start taking this hormone injection. Some of the side effects include weight gain, hair loss, and bone density loss. This article will look into ways in which women can stay healthy while taking Depo Provera.

How to Stay Healthy While Taking the Depo Provera Hormone Injection: Be aware of the risks involved

No form of contraception is without its risks and side effects. When you visit your doctor for your first consultation, he or she will inform you about the possible risks and side effects that you may face if you decide to proceed with a course of Depo Provera. They will ask you questions about why you want to start taking Depo Provera and what you hope to gain from it, as opposed to other forms of birth control, such as the pill. For women who are certain that they will not want children in the near future or for those who suffer from difficult periods, Depo Provera is often an ideal choice for them, as periods will cease while they are taking Depo Provera. The doctor will not always administer your first course of Depo Provera on your first visit. Some doctors feel it is better to send you away with an information pack to think about it some more before deciding to take Depo Provera.

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How to Stay Healthy While Taking the Depo Provera Hormone Injection: Increase your calcium intake

It is your doctor’s job to clearly point out that bone density loss could occur once you start receiving the Depo Provera injection, so it is important to consider what this will mean for you personally. The reality is that if a woman loses too much bone density, she will face osteoporosis in the future. That is why the doctor will point out to you that you will need to add more calcium to your diet, in order to counteract this risk. A daily calcium supplement is a good start, but try to also add more dairy products into your diet. If you usually eat toast for breakfast, spread it with some cream cheese instead of butter or margarine and have a yogurt with it. Also, drink more calcium fortified milk. Other calcium rich foods would include sardines, baked beans, broccoli, peas, okra and almonds.

How to Stay Healthy While Taking the Depo Provera Hormone Injection: Exercise

As we have already mentioned, one of the side effects of the Depo Provera injection in women is weight gain. That is why it is important to try and increase your activity level and incorporate more exercise into your routine. Busy mothers may find this hard to do. They may feel that they cannot possibly exercise with young children around. But that is not necessarily true! Look at what it takes to look after young children and how active they are. Do you often have to run around after them? Pick up after them? Mothers are already quite active with their children. They can increase their activity level further by taking their children out for walks in their push chairs. Some mothers jog as they are pushing their children along! Try to incorporate exercise into what you already do and then it will not seem quite so tiresome and time consuming.

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Each woman is different and will not have the same problems or side effects from Depo Provera as the next woman. All women who are taking Depo Provera need to make sure that they do all they can to maintain their own health. If they notice any unusual side effects that are causing them any discomfort, they should alert their doctor to the problem as soon as possible. For example, extreme pain in the bones should be reported right away and could be an indication of severe bone loss. Depo Provera is not for every woman. If you try it out for three months and find that it does not suit you, then consult your doctor and discuss other forms of contraception.

Source:

http://www.fwhc.org/birth-control/bcdepo.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/nutrition/348-199/348-199.html