Just bitten by a tick

I just pulled a tick off at the base of my hairline. It was only slightly attached, not through all my skin yet. I washed the area & applied Tea Tree Oil & took 1-125mg Grapefruit Seed extract. I did not save the tick. What dose of GFSE should I take & for how long as a preventative? Should I call my Dr & ask for a blood test. I live in Northern CA. Have had many tick bites through the years, & never worried about if before. Thanks for suggestions.

Hi Susan! Sorry you had to find a tick. That is scary and I literally live in fear of being re-infected. My poor kids are afraid of the grass because of me.

At any rate as Chrisnj said, the best treatment for right now would be either doxy for at least 30 days or if you don't want to take abx, I would go to Stephen Buhner's website and he lists what herbs to take for recent tick bites. Honestly, I would be more likely to do that if I were you. Herbs are powerful but not damaging to your body the way abx. are. But don't take a chance and not do anything. A tick can infect you as soon as it bites you so don't listen to any nonsense like some doctors like to spew about it needing to be attached for so long, etc. It's not true. Watch yourself for symptoms. If any should turn up you'll be able to treat based on what symptoms you have. It will likely take you quite a while to get in to see a LLMD. But don't wait to treat before then because by then it could get a real foothold on you.

Alot of us on here use GSE as a supplement to our abx or herbs that we take to help with cyst forms of Lyme. I don't think using that alone will do anything to help you at this point without using it in conjunction with something else. I'm sure others on here will be by to share their thoughts as well.

Good luck!!!

Thank you everyone for your fast & helpful responses. I have looked over Stephen Buhner's website & information (http://buhnerhealinglyme.com/). I have the homeopathic remedies he talks about & the herbs I did not have I have bought & have gotten started taking them. I found this website by UC Davis in CA http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7485.html. It has a good photo of the tick in CA thought to carry Lymes Disease here...My tick did not look at all like the western blacklegged tick. So I am hoping I'm right--but planning to follow Stephen Buhner's suggestions for a "new tick bite" just to be safe.
UC Davis says that in "California, 6 species attach to humans with any regularity, but only the western blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, is thought to be responsible for transmitting the spirochete to people." It seem like there are many really well educated folks in this community, and I really appreciate your responses & help in pointing me to other areas to uncover information.