Adderall: Uses, Abuses & Side Effects

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Adderall is a prescription medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Pictured: 20-mg capsules of Adderall XR.
(Image credit: Patrick Mallahan III / Creative Commons)

Adderall is a prescription medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. Adderall, a brand name, is a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, which are central nervous system stimulants. Taking Adderall may help increase the ability to focus, pay attention and control behavior.

The drug increases the activity of the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Adderall mainly stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the body’s “fight or flight” responses, such as pupil dilation, increased blood pressure and heart rate and increased sweating.

Dosage of Adderall

Adderall is available as a tablet and as an extended-release capsule (Adderall XR). It comes in varying doses, ranging from 5 mg to 30 mg. The prescribed dose will depend on the size of the patient and the severity of symptoms. Doctors typically start patients with a low dose and gradually increase the dose, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The tablet is usually taken two to three times daily and the extended-release capsule is usually taken once daily, according to the NIH.

Side effects

Dextroamphetamine and amphetamine may cause side effects, including:

• Nervousness
• Restlessness
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body
• Headache
• Changes in sex drive or ability
• Dry mouth
• Stomach pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

Some side effects can be serious, and the NIH says that anyone who experiences any of these symptoms should call their doctor immediately:

• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Excessive tiredness
• Slow or difficult speech
• Dizziness or faintness
• Weakness or numbness of an arm or leg
• Seizures
• Motor tics or verbal tics
• Believing things that are not true
• Feeling unusually suspicious of others
• Hallucinating (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist)
• Mania (frenzied or abnormally excited mood)
• Aggressive or hostile behavior
• Changes in vision or blurred vision
• Fever
• Blistering or peeling skin
• Rash
• Hives
• Itching
• Swelling of the eyes, face, tongue or throat
• Difficulty breathing or swallowing
• Hoarseness (abnormal voice changes)

Who should not use Adderall

Adderall is not for everybody. It should not be used by patients with a history of glaucoma, severe anxiety or agitation, a personal or family history of tics, or Tourette syndrome. Stimulants can also cause sudden death in patients with congenital heart defects or serious heart problems. As a result, patients should alert their doctors if they have a history of heart disease, heart rhythm disorder, coronary artery disease or heart attacks, according to the NIH. Doctors should also be alerted if the patient has a history of high blood pressure, mental illness, peripheral vascular disease or seizure disorders.

Adults ages 65 and older should usually not take Adderall because it is not as safe as other medications for this age group, the NIH says.

Some drug interactions could be harmful. The NIH says that people should not take Adderall if they have taken a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), a type of antidepressant, in the last two weeks.

Adderall and children

For children with ADHD, or hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that cause impairment and appear before the age of 7, Adderall can be considered part of a total treatment program. ADHD must be diagnosed through a series of tests that rule out other mental disorders. Other treatment measures will include psychological, educational and social aspects — drug treatments may not even be necessary.

For treating ADHD, Adderall is approved for use in children ages 3 years and older, and Adderall XR is approved for children ages 6 and older, according to the NIH. For children with narcolepsy, the drug is approved for those ages 12 and older.

Adderall is not intended for use in children who exhibit symptoms that are secondary to environmental factors or exhibit symptoms that indicate other psychiatric disorders, such as psychosis, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

There is evidence that Adderall may slow a child’s growth or weight gain, so doctors should monitor children’s growth carefully while they are on the medication, the NIH says.

Abuse and addiction to Adderall

Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance, which means there is a high risk for addiction or abuse and is why any usage should be closely monitored by a medical professional.

According to the Mayo Clinic, simply taking too much Adderall can cause dependence. People using Adderall should not take a larger dose or take it more often or for a longer time than prescribed by a doctor. Also, abruptly stopping the medication can cause depression, fatigue and sleep problems.  

“When taken as prescribed by a physician, there is little risk of addiction, but if taken recreationally for the ‘euphoric’ effect, the risk of abuse will be enhanced,” said Dr. Maria Pino, a toxicologist and course director for pharmacology at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York.

There is a rising trend of college students abusing Adderall and similar drugs, like Ritalin, to perform better on tests and papers. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found that full-time college students were twice as likely as non-students to have used Adderall non-medically.

“Adderall has become one of the mainstay drugs at many party events both on [college] campus[es] and off because it is cheap and easy to access,” said Dr. Marc J. Romano, assistant medical director at Ocean Breeze Recovery in Pompano Beach, Florida.

Romano also noted that individuals often report using Adderall when drinking alcohol to offset the effects of the latter drug. They feel that they do not get as drunk as they would when taking Adderall. Individuals may drink more alcohol when taking Adderall, though, which can result in serious impairment, including death from alcohol poisoning.

This medication should not be sold or shared; doing so is not only dangerous, but also illegal. There is evidence that abuse of this drug may be related to an increase in emergency room visits involving prescription stimulants. A 2016 study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that nonmedical use of Adderall by adults had gone up by 67.1 percent and emergency department visits involving the medication had gone up by 155.9 percent, from 2006 to 2011.

Long-term abuse and overdose

Chronic abuse is marked by severe rash, insomnia, irritability and personality changes. The most severe symptom of abuse is psychosis, which is often clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia, according to the FDA.

Toxic symptoms from taking an overdose of Adderall can come at low doses. Initial signs of an overdose include restlessness, tremor, confusion, hallucinations and panic, the FDA says. After this central stimulation, the patient will undergo fatigue, depression, and often cardiovascular and gastrointestinal symptoms. The NIH says that people should contact a medical professional immediately if they suspect that they or someone they know has overdosed on Adderall.

Additional resources:

• Boston University: The Perils of Adderall
• John Hopkins: Adderall misuse rising among young adults
• FDA: Adderall and Adderall XR (amphetamines) Information

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice. This article was updated on March 28, 2016 by Live Science Contributor, Alina Bradford, and again on Oct. 18, 2018 by Live Science Senior Writer, Rachael Rettner.

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Adderall Side Effects | Common, Serious and Long-Term Effects

Common Adderall side effects may include loss of appetite, nausea and insomnia. Rare but severe side effects of Adderall can include emotional instability, psychiatric disorders and cardiovascular events. Adderall misuse can lead to seizures and death.

Common Side Effects of Adderall

Loss of appetite, stomachache, dizziness and nervousness are the most common side effects of immediate-release Adderall. Research indicates that the overall incidence of side effects is low and similar to that of other stimulants.

Common side effects of Adderall include:

• Diarrhea
• 
  Dizziness
• 
  Dry mouth
• 
  Fever
• 
  Headache
• 
  Insomnia
• 
  Loss of appetite
• 
  Mood swings
• 
  Nausea
• 
  Stomachache

The U. S. Food and Drug Administration reports that factors such as age, body weight, hormonal cycles and pre-existing conditions can impact your risk of experiencing side effects.

Some Adderall side effects may clear up as the body adjusts to the medication. Side effects typically stop after Adderall treatment ends. If side effects persist, speak with your doctor.

In October 2022, FDA announced a shortage of immediate release amphetamine salts, the active ingredient in Adderall. The agency recommended talking to your medical provider about Adderall alternatives, including Adderall XR which uses extended-release amphetamine salts. The side effects of Adderall and Adderall XR are similar.

Adderall Side Effects in Children

The most common side effects in children are similar to those for adults. Your child’s doctor can typically manage most Adderall side effects with careful adjustments to the dosage and schedule.

As they age, many children also face increased expectations in school and a higher demand for concentration. Some clinicians have found tolerance increases until late adolescence.

For children with ADHD, taking stimulant medication as prescribed neither increases nor decreases the risk of addictive behaviors. Studies indicate that a substance abuse risk may be linked to ADHD itself, rather than its treatments.

When taken in doses and ways other than those prescribed, however, there may be an increased risk of addiction.

Side Effects of Adderall XR

Common side effects of Adderall XR, the extended-release version of the drug, include those reported for Adderall. Some additional symptoms have also been reported when taking Adderall XR.

Common Adderall XR side effects, in addition to those listed for immediate-release Adderall, include:

• Decreased appetite
• 
  Dry mouth
• 
  Insomnia

Your physician can monitor any side effects and may advise that you stop taking Adderall XR if they persist or worsen. Do not stop taking your prescribed medication without speaking to your doctor first.

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Warnings and Serious Adderall Side Effects

Serious side effects have been reported, but are rare. Adverse reactions have included dizziness, lack of energy (asthenia), urinary tract infections, irregular heartbeat and elevated blood pressure. In children, rapid, exaggerated mood changes – sometimes called the “rebound effect” – vomiting and nervousness have been reported.

Rare Adderall XR side effects can range from mild, such as hives, to severe skin rashes including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Skin picking (dermatillomania), hair loss, heart palpitations, depression, movement disorders (dyskinesia), tics and tremors have also been documented. Frequent, prolonged and painful erections, as well as impotence, have occurred.

Stimulants can carry risks for people with pre-existing mental health conditions and conditions such as cardiac disease. Before starting Adderall XR, your doctor will discuss your medical history and conduct a physical exam.

Adderall Overdose

When taken as prescribed, Adderall is generally considered safe. Taking it without a prescription or in doses that exceed what was recommended for you, however, can lead to overdose. Treating an overdose immediately is essential to increasing the chances of a full recovery.

Adderall overdose is associated with rhabdomyolysis, also called rhabdo. Muscle breaks down and cell contents are released into the blood. Dark red or brown urine can be a symptom of this potentially fatal condition.

Uncontrollable anxiety, panic or aggression with rapid breathing, an elevated heart rate and uncontrollable shaking can be signs of Adderall overdose. If you experience hallucinations, tremors, seizures or loss of consciousness, seek immediate medical attention.

Serious Cardiovascular Effects

Cardiovascular events such as strokes, heart attacks and sudden death have been reported with stimulants, including Adderall. Adderall can increase blood pressure and heart rate.

The risk of adverse side effects is higher for individuals with pre-existing heart issues, high blood pressure (hypertension) or a history of heart attack. Adults are at greater risk of cardiovascular events than children, and the risk increases with each passing decade of life.

If you develop chest pain or other symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.

Psychiatric Side Effects Linked to Adderall Use

Some researchers have linked Adderall with mental health conditions such as psychosis and schizophrenia. If you have a history of mental illness, you may be more likely to develop psychosis or even suicidal thoughts while taking Adderall.

When people who do not have ADHD take Adderall, they put themselves at risk for amphetamine-related psychiatric disorders.

While rare, longer-term use of Adderall or other stimulants has caused paranoid delusions. Mood and behavioral disturbances, such as anxiety, depression and uncontrollable crying, have also been reported.

Suppression of Growth in Children

Several studies have attempted to determine whether stimulants such as Adderall might suppress or stall a child’s growth. The results have not been conclusive.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that Adderall does not appear to play a role in the eventual adult height of children. According to researchers, other factors, such as nutrition or maturity differences because of ADHD, may play a more significant role in height.

Adderall and Seizures

Some studies have suggested a connection between stimulants and seizures. Those with a history of seizures are suspected to be at particular risk.

Other recent studies, however, have found no evidence of increased risk of seizures with those taking ADHD medication according to prescribed directions. No increased risk was detected in those with a history of seizures or even in those with epilepsy.

Peripheral Vasculopathy and Raynaud’s Phenomenon

Raynaud’s phenomenon, an exaggerated response of the blood vessels to the cold or emotional stress, which occurs in the fingers and toes, is a rare but serious possible adverse effect of stimulants such as Adderall.

Peripheral vasculopathy, another disorder of the blood vessels in the arms and legs, is also reportedly possible with Adderall use.

Serotonin Syndrome

Adderall has a direct impact on the brain’s serotonin levels. Serotonin syndrome can happen when the brain cannot regulate the body’s functions because of an excess of serotonin.

Use of Adderall with other drugs, such as antidepressants or illegal drugs such as MDMA, can increase the risk of serotonin syndrome.

When properly following your doctor’s prescription, the change is typically not enough to cause a drastic leap in serotonin. Adderall use without a prescription or in excess of the recommended dose, however, may cause a spike that can be fatal if untreated.

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Long-Term Effects of Adderall

Long-term issues associated with Adderall, especially in those who abuse prescription stimulants, include development of tolerance and dependence.

Other long-term side effects of Adderall can include:

• Aggression
• 
  Changes in mood and behavior
• 
  Dependency and addiction
• 
  Erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems
• 
  Gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation and abdominal pain
• 
  Hallucinations
• 
  Heart problems and stroke
• 
  Irritability
• 
  Lack of motivation
• 
  Problems sleeping
• 
  Weight loss

Stopping Adderall suddenly may lead to withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms include vivid, unpleasant dreams, sleeping too much or too little, fatigue and brain fog.

Is Adderall Addictive?

Adderall is a controlled substance. Abuse of Adderall and other stimulant drugs is fairly common among students, professionals, athletes and people with eating disorders abusing it to cram for exams, tackle more work, boost energy and lose weight. People have also taken it to boost confidence and help with social anxiety disorder.

If you feel like you need Adderall to get out of bed in the morning and to cope with daily life, or have uncontrollable cravings for it, you may be addicted to the drug.

Signs of Adderall abuse can include:

• Abdominal pain
• 
  Aggression
• 
  Anxiety
• 
  Decreased appetite
• 
  Dilated pupils
• 
  Excessive sweating
• 
  Hostility
• 
  Hyperactivity
• 
  Increased blood pressure
• 
  Increased heart rate
• 
  Insomnia
• 
  Loss of coordination
• 
  Psychosis
• 
  Quicker breathing
• 
  Restlessness
• 
  Skin flushing
• 
  Suicidal or homicidal thoughts
• 
  Tremors
• 
  Vomiting

If you take Adderall for ADHD, avoid mixing it with other substances such as alcohol, illicit drugs or other prescription medications. Don’t take it without a prescription or more frequently than prescribed. Never crush, snort or inject it.

Talk to your doctor about taking an occasional break from Adderall, so your tolerance doesn’t get too high.

How to ensure the development of concentration? Let’s look at the example of ADHD – RISE on vc.ru

Sponsor of this issue: awesome bunch of cases. An awesome bunch of cases, I turned them in my head. Moreover, the end of the year is coming, summing up, analyzing a lot of indicators, and promising to myself that it’s definitely time to take up the mind. In such a situation, the development of concentration of attention is not a whim, but a cruel necessity.

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In touch RISE : community about nootropics and personal productivity. One of the foundations of productivity is the ability to keep focus and rank tasks in order of importance. But the task becomes more complicated if a person suffers from certain behavioral disorders, which include the same ADHD.

Disclaimer : Based on contributions from Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. It’s about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Using the example of ADHD, we will analyze the difficulties of developing attention, focusing and reveal the main secret on which concentrated work is based.

What is ADHD and how likely is it that I have it?

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It was discovered in 1910, and then it was simply called attention deficit disorder. But then its nature was unclear and there were difficulties with the study. And only at 19In the 1980s, psychologists who had previously studied various types of LSD supplemented the term, and the addition of “hyperactivity” helped to finally build a diagnosis and understand the nature of the disorder.

The problem is also that the disease is extremely common. Approximately 10-12% of the world’s population suffers from ADHD, but only half are diagnosed. You can live 30 years without even knowing about the disorder, but realizing that something is going wrong in life. Beat forehead in the development of concentration, but only lose time and suffer from deadlines pouring in from all sides. And to break through the wall, without understanding the principles of the development of the disease, even the top preparations for working capacity will not help. Well, it’s time to crush the status quo!

What is attention?

In psychology, there are a lot of terms that separate attention, concentration, focus, self-control as separate terms. Within the framework of this article, I combine all these terms into one – attention. This will make it easier and more understandable for all of us.

Attention is the ability to consciously perceive the world. We already perceive it every second: the temperature, the level of light, noise, the fit of clothes to the skin. Attention, on the other hand, allows you to single out one stimulus among the whole mass, and focus on it, which ensures an increase in the body’s performance.

In parallel with attention, there is also such a skill as “control of impulsive behavior”. It concerns the suppression of certain impulses. Some of them are socially undesirable, like picking your nose. Others are somewhat harmful, like touching your face during a covid pandemic.

Attention consists of these two components: cutting off unnecessary stimuli by focusing on one thing, and suppressing impulsive thoughts and movements. Both of these processes are extremely difficult for people with ADHD.

Harmony within the day. What keeps the development of concentration of attention

Perception of time, organization of space and working memory. These are the three criteria that are affected by the absence or development of concentration. Let’s compare the difference between these states in ordinary people and people with ADHD:

• Perception of time. Most often, we adequately perceive the time, even now, when you are reading these lines. People with ADHD get up later than usual and often procrastinate. They are unable to control themselves in the absence of hard deadlines. Clean up your day? It’s out of the question.
• Organization of space. Oddly enough, but scattered people, or people with ADHD tend to streamline things around them. The problem is that they do it only according to a system they understand. And if someone changes something in this system, then the ties collapse.
• RAM operation. Leaving the house, you met an amazing person, learned his name and phone number. But your phone is at home. When you get up, you no longer remember either the name or the number. And this is a direct bell that the development of concentration of attention requires some effort.

Remember, ADHD is a disease that a psychiatrist can diagnose. The listed symptoms are present in most people, and require attention, forcing a person to suffer with the question of how to work effectively?. Therefore, this article is useful for both people with ADHD and those who just want to be more collected. Again, all of the above concerns the external manifestations of attention deficit. It’s time to look inside the skull.

Dopamine, neural networks and hyperfocus state

So far, there is an opinion that people with ADHD do not know how to keep their attention at all. And it’s not. The bottom line is that if such a person is given something that will interest him, he will go into this topic with his head. Immerse yourself in a specific state of hyperfocus, characteristic, for the most part, of people with this disorder. Dopamine and neural networks contribute to this.

Two areas of the brain and their areas of responsibility

The article is scientifically popular, so it contains assumptions and generalizations. If you want details – welcome to the questions in the comments or the channel in the Telegram, where I communicate personally with everyone.

So, we are interested in two neural networks. The first one is called Core Network . It is active during those periods when we, like the Big Lebowski, lie on the carpet and look at the ceiling, yes, even without music. The second network is called Task Network . It is active when we are doing something. The activity of each network is regulated by dopamine. He, like a conductor, determines the operating time of one zone, and then the second.

At the same time, it is the increase in dopamine that is considered the main reason for concentration and focus. There is also acetylcholine and adrenaline, but it is the release of dopamine that maintains the strength and duration of how a person holds attention.

How balance supports the development of concentration

What happens in the brain of normal people. The Core Network and the Task Network are inversely correlated. If one is active, then the other sleeps. That is why we get the opportunity to relax and fall asleep, or to suppress the impulse to say or do something in time.

People with ADHD, just like people who simply don’t get enough sleep, have these zones out of sync. That’s why good sleep without sleeping pills is so important for productivity. Otherwise, two different zones are activated at the same time, bringing chaos and disorder to the daily routine.

This explanation is supported by MRI scans showing brain activity. When a person supports the development of concentration of attention, then the inverse correlation is restored, and the regularity of rhythms comes into order.

Brief summary

The problem of attention deficit lies in the desynchronization of the biorhythms of the brain. Dopamine plays a role in this. It is difficult to say which role. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the body develops a lack of dopamine. Perhaps due to the lack of receptors for this neurohormone. Maybe other signaling pathways don’t give dopamine a chance to express itself. We’ll talk about this in the next article. But, already now we can say that good habits in terms of conscious regulation of the cycles of the day will become the foundation on which a normal life is built.

More articles about the brain, psyche, consciousness and how to use biohacking tools to your advantage – read in the Telegram channel and VK group. Subscribe to keep up to date with the latest content.

Author: Philip Donchev, RISE Community Editor

Dan McCafferty — interview | Postertracks

Perhaps this is the only thing left with us from the 70s: it doesn’t matter,
is either from what he drank yesterday, or from a voice that has become familiar over the years, singing the eternal 9 with sandpaper over the ears0098 spell – “son of a bitch”.

Text: Valery Posternak
Photo: Lena Avdeeva/PHOTORAMA

There was a sincere belief that in thirty years brilliant times would come. This feature needs new patches. Don’t be afraid to sharpen. Link. Something yesterday swung rare out-takes, but the bitrate is not very good. But do not look on eBay?

Is it like they are? But what about the stations on Mars and regular flights to Alpha Centauri?

Do not offend ours, otherwise I will call the boys from the yard. They are just looking at a new layer there. You are so smart here, but have you heard “in rock”? Cool. What about dog hair? No? Well, you sucker, I can record for a three-ruble note. Just give a new tape, otherwise the whole head will then be covered in manure, you will be tempted to clean it.

How did we then, looking at the cover of “Hair of the Dog”, imagine ourselves in these very new times, which were bound to come? And when they came, many were crushed by the iron heel, there was no wet spot left.

Herbert Marcuse was sure that we can distinguish between true and false needs. But the real one-dimensional man, as it turned out, is not quite the same as Marcuse imagined him to be. The old man can be forgiven: at the moment when he had to contact such a dumb business as calculating the one-dimensionality of those standing nearby, the Internet was just taking its first steps, the keyhole was very small – you can’t peep anything like that. I had to strain my brain. And reality often has nothing in common with the product of mental tension. It is material, as we were taught in the Soviet school. You definitely need to pull her by the udder, feel it, run your finger along the cover of the coveted record, on which someone in distant Great Britain drew these 9 so beautifully0098 crazy dogs.

It’s even better to just chat with a person whose voice haunts you for decades, although you have already grown up, changed, you know what patches and links are. But no – as you hear, immediately in the snot. There are things that are destined to stay with us forever. For example, hangover syndrome. Or the desire to feel the one who told you about it. Probably, he
knew a lot about this even then.

“Actually, I don’t drink,” Dan McCafferty grins.
– But you’re Scottish. Highland, Isla… stuff…
– It is better to talk about this with my brother, he is a master in these matters. I’m more into beer…” Dan pauses. “Hmm… figured it out.

Laughs.

– Well, you caught me!
– And it was not in my thoughts. It’s just that such things have always surprised me – a Scot, and does not like whiskey …
– I like it, but he doesn’t like me! Sometimes I drink whiskey with my brother, but only a couple or two, because if I get drunk, I immediately become violent and get into fights, and in fact I’m not like that, I’m a decent person, believe me.

Of course, I believe, but I know for sure that several bottles of cognac and red wine have already been prepared in the dressing room. But this is just a rider, and who can vouch for what? I also heard a lot of tales about the first Russian tour of the Nazareth group, when our battered promoters gave up on the third day, and Dan didn’t care – he threw himself so that at least the grass did not grow, but the next day like a cucumber, and again on stage. Man, what can I say. Now he doesn’t drink. Well, okay. I still need to live to his age, then we’ll see how it turns out.

I come from the other side:
– Aren’t you tired of answering stupid questions from stupid journalists for so many years?
— I don’t even know what to answer… — McCafferty thinks, looks at me carefully, then retorts, — It seems to me that journalists usually ask about what people want to know.
— Not always, — I laugh.
— But it must be like this, right?

Well, what’s your answer?

– Then I’ll start right with the question that worried all the fans of the Nazareth band back in the Soviet Union in the seventies. What does “Hair of the Dog” mean?

Hello to all those who argued until they were hoarse about this in my distant hairy childhood.

– We were going to call the album “Son of a Bitch”, but the guys from the American record company A&M told us that we shouldn’t call it that, because it’s a swear word in America. Not now, but then it was. We thought it was very funny, so we called it “Hair of the Dog”, a kind of pun on “Heir of the Dog” (literally from English – “heir of the dog”), which ultimately also means
“son of a bitch”.
– Did the audience get the hint?
– Of course, in America everyone calls this album “Son of a Bitch”.

– We had a legend in childhood that “Hair of the Dog” means a hangover when you wake up in the morning and …
– Well, the Scottish expression hair of the dog is just about when you drank whiskey last night and woke up and felt like “Ohhh…” McCafferty pauses and closes his eyes, clearly remembering something. – A folk remedy for a hangover suggests treating the hair of the dog that bit you. So it turns out: you drink the same whiskey and, I assume, your state of health either improves or worsens greatly.

Dan McCafferty has been singing his mantra about the dog’s heir for almost 35 years, and no one is against it, judging by the full club hall. No, this does not mean that the Nazareth group does not have other songs – for almost fifty years of history they have managed to compose a lot of bright and recognizable compositions from the very first notes, without which British rock and roll is now unthinkable. And even more so the childhood and youth of Soviet music lovers. At the same time, then no one really understood whether it was a song or a cover of their own composition. And something, but Nazareth covers did it in such a way that even the authors were surprised – is this my song?

Nazareth— Guilty (from the 1975 album Hair of the Dog)

Watch this video on YouTube bong ” Good Old Boys«)

– Did you ever talk to Joni Mitchell in person about your version of “This Flight Tonight”? How did she take it?
– Joni and I met when she was recording Court and Spark. We just released the single “This Flight Tonight”, showed her the record, and she is surprised: “Are you serious, is this song performed by a rock band?” We answer: “Yeah. ” They put it on and she really liked it. She even poured us a cup of tea. And the following year, when she was touring for the Court and Spark album, and our single “This Flight Tonight” was already a hit around the world, she announced this song as a Nazareth song – we thought it was very sweet. Miss Mitchell is a real lady.

— Your repertoire includes a number of covers that sound excellent and have brought you a lot of fame. Wasn’t there a danger of becoming a band that just makes other people’s songs great and doesn’t have their own hits? I mean the seventies.
– No, never, because we changed every song we covered a lot. The same “This Flight Tonight” is completely different from the original Joni. She is very heavy. So any other person’s song that we performed, we did as a track
of the Nazareth group.

– Led Zeppelin shot you a little earlier. Was there a temptation to peep something from them, to do as they did, so that somehow there, up, to success …
– No, no, because all these groups appeared simultaneously with us. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Genesis, Nazareth – all this was somewhere at the same time. And everyone had some kind of
jet.
– UFO…
– Ah, UFO, my pals…
– A few years ago I was talking to Phil Mogg here in Moscow – great stories, very funny…
– Oh, Fili! McCafferty laughs. “Yeah, he’s very funny, and he doesn’t give a damn!”
“I understood that too,” I laugh too, “but you also knew Alex Harvey, didn’t you?”
— Oh yes, very good.
– He’s my favorite…

McCafferty interrupts me.

— I loved Alex very much.
– And when SAHB disbanded, did you hire guitarist Zal Cleminson to join you?
— Well, things were so-so for them. Zal, when I met him, worked as a taxi driver. We recorded a couple of albums with him.
– Did he try to paint his face again?
– No, no. When Zal went on tour with us in America – the group was very popular there at that time, and just then there was some kind of Middle East conflict, either in Iran, or in Iraq – so, Zal dressed up on stage as a real Arab. We didn’t know anything about it, and when he first appeared in this form in front of the public, we almost fainted ourselves. He has a great sense of humor.

“Hair of the Dog” – live performance in 1981, as part of the group
Zal Cleminson as second guitarist.

– Hey, how did you manage to survive in this race called “fame, rock and roll”? ..
– You mean “Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll”?
– Yes.
– I tried to stay away from most of these things. All my sex went to
someone else, that’s for sure. And so, I never really … Well, I smoked a little, probably, but nothing more serious. But I love to drink. It is important to know your limit.
– As it turned out, not everyone knew their limit.
– In fact, they simply did not have brains. “Look, this is called heroin, and it will kill you. “Oh, cool, let’s get him here!” — No, thank you.

— What are you most afraid of?
– Are you most afraid of anything in your life? Dan McCafferty stares at me, thinks, then answers. – Losing the ones I love. Probably so.
– Do you consider yourself a rich person? That is, the music did make you, ultimately, a wealthy person, or is it all a hoax, which is for the fans?
– I have a good life. I have a good house, a good family, but I still have to work.
– How many more? How much more power is enough?
– Ask me about it tomorrow.

I will definitely ask as soon as the moment comes. And many more things to ask. McCafferty has a lot to ask. In the meantime, please draw a self-portrait in my notebook.

– Self-portrait? Dan is surprised, then draws, a sly smile appears on his face.