Tick bites and Lyme disease
Lyme disease is spread by infected tick bites. Most tick bites do not cause it, and removing a tick promptly and correctly reduces the risk.
How long does a course usually last?
A simple tick bite needs no antibiotics. If Lyme disease develops, treatment is usually a 21 day course.
Your prescriber sets the exact length for you. Finish the course you're given unless a healthcare professional tells you to stop.
Never re-use antibiotics
- Do not re-use this treatment, or take leftover or someone else's antibiotics, unless a healthcare professional has expressly told you to.
- The right antibiotic, dose and length depend on your current infection, which can be different from last time.
- Re-using antibiotics can be ineffective, cause side effects, and drives antibiotic resistance. Return leftovers to any pharmacy for safe disposal.
What the guidance says
Most tick bites do not need antibiotics. Remove the tick as soon as possible with fine tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool: grip close to the skin, pull upwards steadily, and do not squeeze or crush the tick. Clean the skin afterwards. A pharmacist can advise on tick removal.
See a doctor if you develop a spreading circular or bull's eye rash (erythema migrans), which can appear from 3 days to 3 months after a bite, or flu like symptoms such as fever, headache, tiredness and muscle pain after a tick bite. When this rash is present, NICE says treatment should start without waiting for blood tests.
The usual first choice is doxycycline for 21 days, with amoxicillin as an alternative. Prevent bites by covering exposed skin and using insect repellent in grassy and wooded areas, including gardens and parks, and checking your skin for ticks afterwards.
Based on NICE guidance — always follow your own prescriber's advice.
Antibiotics sometimes prescribed
When to seek help
If you are getting worse, develop a high fever, feel confused or breathless, or your symptoms are not improving as expected, contact your doctor or call NHS 111. See the warning signs page.