Dr. Leia Melead - Naturopathic Doctor and Licensed Acupuncturist

Saw your info. on Mary Shoman's site. I have no thyroid and know that my thyroid medication is off balance as I am gaining a 1/2 pound a day. My doctor says the tsh tests all say I am "normal", but for me, I am not, as my symptoms, which are classic for someone with low thyroid, show I am outside the range. I have gained almost 30 pounds in 10 weeks and I am miserable. I hurt all over and am becoming increasingly grumpy. What would you suggest.

I have an Autoimmune thyroid disorder, and genital herpes type one. I plan to do a full body cleanse and then a kidney, liver, candida and thyroid cleanse to take care of the auto immune disorder. Can I do the liver, kidney, candida and thyroid cleanses all at once? I get outbreak after outbreak and need to take care of immune disorder asap so I can move on to taking care of the herpes problem. For the herpes I plan to continue drinking lemon balm tea and will also continue to start taking the vitamins lysine, larrea, and red marine algae. I'm planning on making my own lemon balm oil to apply to the sores. I'm already taking Airbourne three times a day to build up immunity. I'm drinking lots of bottled water, eating only organic fruits and vegetables. I rarely eat anything other than fruits and vegetables, when I do I stay away from anything with high arginine content. My questions are, am I going about fighting the herpes virus the right way? Can I do multiple body cleanses at once or just one at a time? Is eating only fruits and vegetables healthy? Should I take lemon balm vitamins along with drinking the tea and using the lemon balm oil? Can you take Airbourne for more then a week? Since I've had at least a few sores every day for a year straight, if I just take it to boost my immune system during out breaks I'd be taking it every day.

Dear Kalola, since you have no thyroid, you should be carefully monitored regularly for your thyroid medication. Please tell your doctor how you are feeling and if he or she does not listen to you, then find another doctor who will listen. If you live on Kauai, please call my office for an appointment otherwise, please find a Naturopathic doctor who will assist you. Good luck.

Dear Michelle, you have many questions. First, it is not a good idea to do many different body "cleanses" all at once. You could make yourself sick from these cleanses. I do understand your desire to clear up your infections and to feel better. It is wise to eat a balanced diet with the appropriate proportions of carbohydrates, protein, and oils/fats. You might want to seek out a medical professional who is experienced with nutrition to assist you in your dietary endeavors. Sometimes self-dosing with essential oils internally can be toxic, so I do not recommend that you take excess quantities of any essential oil internally for any length of time. Airbourne is meant to be taken for only short periods of time and for preventing a cold or flu infection when exposed to others who are contagious. Please do not take it continuously. Because you have an autoimmune thyroid condition, it is not wise to take herbs or nutraceuticals to boost your immune system because your immune system is already overactive, and it could just make your condition worse. There is one product, however, which is called Orenda Immune. > Orenda Immune is helpful in most autoimmune disorders. It is an excellent product for detoxifying the liver of excess toxins and at the same time will assist your immune system to function properly. Begin with a low dose of two capsules per day for the first week, then increase to two capsules twice per day the second week, then up to two capsules three times per day. Maintain at this level until you feel better and then you can gradually decrease to two capsules once per day. You might want to visit your local Naturopathic doctor to assist you in helping you to feel better. Good luck and let us know how you fare.

I notice Dr. Leia is familiar with Orenda Immune. I was an avid fan of Orenda products, including O-tropin, until 2 years ago when I contracted a form of oral herpes. Now, the O-tropin product, containing Arginine creates constant outbreaks. I can no longer access the benefits of the HGH enhancement of the O-tropin. Would increasing L-Lysine supplements in addition to using O-tropin again work? I know the combination of Lysine and Arginine is important for HGH release and wonder if adding Lysine will simply counteract the HGH release and make the O-tropin useless or less effective. What do you think?

Dear Linda, Glad to hear that you have found the Orenda products. Taking extra lysine may help, however, your immune system needs to be strengthened in order to fight off your herpes. So, I would recommend that you try the Orenda Immune product taking a dose of 3-4 tablets two times per day. Orenda Immune is a fantastic product and I am wondering if you have tried it. Make sure to take the dose I recommended above, and also lots of anti-oxidants such as the Orenda Oki juice daily to help to limit the healing crisis and detoxification which you might experience. If the breakouts become more extreme in the beginning, continue to take the Immune product and add more anti-oxidants. If you do not have an Orenda supply, you can purchase them at > Orenda Immune Information. Make sure that you check back with us and let us know your results. Many others have been able to control their herpes in this manner. Another strong powerful anti-oxidant is called Protandin, and can be found at > Protandin Antioxidant. It contains some of the most powerful anti-oxidants in a synergistic blend, rendering it more effective that just the single individual ingredients.

Hello, I am considering taking some adaptogenic herbs like Shizandra, Eleuthero, or Astragalus to deal with daily stress. However I plan on taking oral contraceptives in the near future. I was wondering if taking adaptogenic herbs at the same time will decrease the effectiveness of the contraceptives? Thanks!