What to Do After a Tick Bite: Natural Remedies for the First Week

Finding an attached a tick on you or your child is a nightmare for many parents. 

With awareness growing around Lyme disease and other co-infections, tick bites can feel really scary. But here’s the good news: there’s a lot you can do right away to support your body naturally, soothe the bite, and help reduce your chances of developing an infection.

Here’s your friendly, herb-filled guide to what to do post tick bite—featuring immune-supporting tinctures, drawing herbs, and some old-school homeopathy.

✅ Step 1: Reach for Echinacea Tincture (Internally + Topically)

Echinacea is one of the best herbs to keep on hand for moments exactly like this. It’s a powerful immune stimulant, blood purifier, and lymph mover—exactly what your body needs in the 7 days following a tick bite.

How to use internally: Take echinacea tincture 2–3 times a day for about a week post-bite. This supports immune activation and helps move lymph, which is your body’s cleanup crew for pathogens and waste.

How to use topically: Apply a few drops of echinacea tincture directly to the bite a few times a day to support localized healing and reduce inflammation.

Pro tip: A fresh root tincture (like from Echinacea purpurea or angustifolia*) is extra potent.*

🧲 Step 2: Apply Drawing Herbs for Tick Bite Relief

Drawing herbs are amazing for soothing the skin and helping “pull out” anything that doesn’t belong—including irritants, toxins, and bacteria. Use them as a paste, poultice, or compress on the bite.

Best drawing herbs and ingredients to try:

• Bentonite clay – binds to toxins and pulls them out of the body

• Plantain leaf (Plantago spp.) – antimicrobial and drawing

• Ginger root – stimulates circulation, antimicrobial, and drawing

• Echinacea tincture – blood purifying and drawing

🌿 Tick Bite Superstar: Take Andrographis Tincture (The Lyme Protocol MVP)

If you’ve ever fallen down the Lyme rabbit hole, you may have heard of Stephen Harrod Buhner, a renowned herbalist who wrote Healing Lyme. One of his top recommended herbs post-tick bite is Andrographis paniculata.

Andrographis is antibacterial, antiviral, immune-stimulating, and protective to your cells—making it a favorite in herbal Lyme protocols.

Internally: Take 15–30 drops of Andrographis tincture 2–3 times daily post-bite, especially during the first week.

Topically: You can even apply it directly to the bite alongside echinacea or on its own.

📅 What to Do in the First Week After a Tick Bite

Day 1–3:

• Start echinacea tincture (internally + topically)

• Apply drawing poultices every few hours

• Take Ledum 200C

• Begin Andrographis tincture

Day 4–7:

• Continue echinacea + andrographis

• Check for rash, swelling, or fatigue

• Stay hydrated and rest when needed

Don’t Panic—Just Prepare

Ticks are part of nature. Being outdoors shouldn’t be terrifying—but it’s smart to have a game plan. Keeping a small kit with echinacea, andrographis, clay, and Ledum on hand can turn that moment of panic into an empowered, calm response.

🛒 Want to Stock Your Post-Tick Kit?

Look for:

• Echinacea tincture

• Andrographis tincture

• Bentonite clay + plantain salve

• Ledum 200C homeopathic pellets

Getting bitten by a tick can feel scary—but it doesn’t have to spiral into fear. With a few herbal allies and some knowledge under your belt, you can support your body’s resilience naturally and confidently. Herbs like echinacea and andrographis, combined with simple drawing remedies and homeopathy, offer gentle, effective support during that important post-bite window.

Stay grounded, stay prepared—and don’t forget to check yourself (and your pets!) after time in tall grass or the woods.