On June 4, 2019 our site traffic dropped from 13,029 visits a day to 6,301… in one day. It has not recovered. We discovered that Google changed their search algorithm not onyl for Medshadow to deliberately suppress sites they didn’t consider credible and we fell into that category.We applaud Google’s attempts to stop the flood of miracle cure pills, get rich quick schemes and gamble your life away sites. But they’ve missed the target when they suppressed MedShadow. We aren’t one of the bad guys.
We have reached out to Google to ask them why they’ve suppressed MedShadow’s standing. But Google has not responded. In our self-review, we’ve identified many areas in which our SEO was deficient and that’s a good improvement. But poor SEO practices doesn’t make us non-authoritative or exploitative of our site visitors.
We would like Google to recognize that MedShadow is one of the few health journalism sites that refuses pharmaceutical and medical device advertising or support.
- We are independent of pharmaceutical influence because we don’t take their money
- We don’t sell any products
- We received a GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency
- Every study we reference is linked to directly
- Every person we quote has full credentials
- Our writers are professional health journalists
- We have published more than 1,500 top quality health articles, without pharmaceutical funding or influence
- We were awarded an eHealthCare Leadership award in 2017
- We have received 4 consecutive years of Gold Stars from Great NonProfits which are based on site visitor comments
- We have been quoted on other websites as experts in side effects of medicines by MSN, Readers Digest online, ABC News and more
- We even filed an Amicus Brief in the US Supreme Court arguments on Merck v. Abbott on the Fosamax trial
We don’t work at MedShadow for the glory, the big ad budgets or for the perks (there aren’t any). We care about reaching people, because without MedShadow nearly all of the health articles on the web are influenced by pharmaceutical companies and medical device companies. MedShadow is a nonprofit and we won’t take money from either types of these companies.
We were started because the founder was personally harmed by the side effects of a medicine used as prescribed. Years later the education system pushed her family to give her son ADHD medicines, even though a medical study was done to identify learning disabilities as the primary problem.
We all want to feel that the net effect of medicines are good. Sure, there are some side effects, but we’re better off with meds, right? Not always. MedShadow is here to help you balance the benefits against the risks of medicines and to suggest alternative like lifestyle changes, acupuncture, meditation and more.
Help us reach more people — your family, friends and colleagues. Subscribe to our newsletter and send the link to everyone you know. All those old high school friends on Facebook and those experts on Twitter. Tell them about MedShadow, forward and like our social media postings. And, most importantly, read our articles so that you can make the best health choices and keep your family safe from the unanticipated side effects of medicines.
From Our Readers
Migraine headaches are a debilitating issue for me and MedShadow is a phenomenal resource for me to get a deeper understanding of migraine medications and their side effects. I’ve been given a number of different drugs to try but now I check MedShadow first so I can make the best choice.
– Raq R
We found such helpful information on probiotics – views we hadn’t thought about. It was good for us to learn this because we are working with a one month old. Thank you!
– Charlet
I’m grateful for MedShadow and the information they post on side effects. While I was pregnant recently, I found the comprehensive articles on drugs and pregnancy were really helpful. Not only did I gain knowledge that helped me make immediate decisions but I became more confident in asking my physician questions based on what MedShadow had posted.
– C. Fink
MedShadow Foundation is the best site for information on drugs and side effects. This site probably saved my life with all of the useful information it provided me with in my younger, college years. I’m most likely not alone in this regard. They are doing amazing work educating the public with easy to read articles about the side effects of medicine and I am so grateful for their support.
– LekeR
My child has asthma, and I stumbled across MedShadow’s website and was able to find information on the pros and cons of using prescribed medicine for a child for a sustained period of time. The articles were written by healthcare journalists, and as a non profit I found that I could trust the information more. Because of MedShadow, I have more confidence and knowledge to have real conversations with my son’s pediatrician about prescribed medications, their side effects, and possible alternatives. Thanks MedShadow!
– AmanaInTheKnow
I find MedShadows articles extremely helpful. I’m so glad someone is finally doing what MedShadow is. It’s about time someone gave the people consistent and reliable information about pharmaceuticals and their long term side effects.
– PharmaTruth107
