24 Mar 2023

How to Make an Herbal Fever Ease Syrup

You may have heard that there’s a nationwide shortage of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen—critical fever reducers for children with respiratory viruses! While there’s no replacement for these medications when fevers are dangerously high, there are a few herbal allies that can help to gently encourage the resolution of a fever (and even help with the pain and crankiness associated with a fever), when fevers are in a safe range.

This herbal syrup contains herbal fever reducers that are safe for most children. While taking this syrup as-is can be effective, these herbs work best when taken hot, so the best way to take a dose is by stirring it into some hot water or any other hot beverage. These herbs can also be combined into a tea—just use 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture per 8-10 fl oz hot water and steep, covered, for 15-20 minutes before straining.

Because this syrup contains honey, it should not be given to children under 1 year of age.

jar of dried herbs steeping for herbal fever ease

Herbal Fever Ease Formula

This Herbal Fever Ease Formula is a gentle and natural way to support fevers and help the body cool down.

Ingredients

20g meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) aerial parts
15g catnip (Nepeta cataria) aerial parts
15g lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) aerial parts
10g peppermint (Mentha x piperita) leaf
1-4 cups raw honey (for a vegan option, substitute maple syrup, vegetable glycerin, or vegan sugar)

Directions

Place herbs in a saucepan and pour 16 fl oz hot water over the herbs. Cover and let steep for 6-8 hours.
Strain infusion through a strainer and return to the saucepan.
Add honey to the infusion. For each cup of liquid, use ½-2 cups of honey. The amount of honey can be increased if you prefer a sweeter syrup or to increase the shelf life of the syrup. A honey made with a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts honey to 1 part infusion/decoction will keep for 1 year if refrigerated (Cech, 2000), while a syrup made with a ratio of 1:2 (1 part honey to 2 parts infusion/decoction) will keep for a few weeks if refrigerated (Gladstar, 2012).
Warm mixture just slightly to enable the honey and liquid to mix.
Transfer syrup into a clean, dry sanitized bottle or jar and cap tightly.
Label.
Store syrup in a cool, dark place or in the refrigerator.
Take ¼-½ teaspoon 3-4x/day mixed in hot water or tea.

bottle of herbal fever ease sitting on table with a plant in the background and towel laying next to it

In Closing,

Although fevers are a normal, healthy immune response, they can sometimes cause dread or anxiety, particularly in young children. The herbal fever reducers in this syrup are a gentle, natural way to help the body cool down.