Live Beyond the Norms

The Hidden Dangers in Your Medicine Cabinet | FDA Advisor Suzanne Robotti on Flawed Trials, Drug Safety & Patient Advocacy

Chris Burres Episode 118

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/live-beyond-the-norms/id1714886566 



I never imagined I’d be talking to someone who’s advised the FDA, challenged medical orthodoxy, and lived through one of the most devastating pharmaceutical disasters in history, but Suzanne Robotti is that person.


She’s not just an FDA advisor. She’s also the founder of MedShadow Foundation, a nonprofit that helps people understand the real risks of medications without the spin of pharmaceutical companies. And it’s personal for her.


Suzanne was born into this fight. A drug called DES, prescribed to her mother during pregnancy, led to her own infertility. That experience set her on a decades-long mission to stop another DES from ever happening again. She got trained, joined FDA drug safety committees, and built a trusted platform to empower millions of patients to make informed choices.


In this episode, we talk about how few people participate in drug trials before the meds hit the market, what “post-approval” means, and how patients unknowingly become participants in phase 4 drug experiments. We also dig into the real story behind ADHD diagnoses, Ritalin overuse, and what happened when Suzanne was told to medicate her teenage nephew or risk getting him kicked out of school.


This is a deeply honest conversation about what it means to become your own health advocate.


“ The real effects of medicines are often kept in the shadows.” ~ Suzanne Robotti


About Suzanne Robotti:

Suzanne Robotti is a nationally recognized drug safety advocate, consumer representative to the FDA, and the founder of MedShadow Foundation — a nonprofit media organization dedicated to informing the public about the risks and side effects of medications. Her journey began after discovering that she was infertile because of prenatal DES exposure. Today, Suzanne speaks widely on the importance of transparency in medicine, shared decision-making, and empowering patients to ask better questions.


Connect with Suzanne Robotti:

- Website: https://medshadow.org 

- FDA Advocacy: https://desaction.org 

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medshadowfoundation/ 

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@medshadow_foundation 

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/medshadow.foundation 

- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/MedShadowFoundation 


Connect with Chris Burres:

- Website: https://www.myvitalc.com/ 

- Website: http://www.livebeyondthenorms.com/ 

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisburres/ 

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@myvitalc 

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisburres/