Kristina Kaiser Gehrki shares her daughter Natalie's prescription drug-induced tragedies which began at the age of two and a half, when she was prescribed a powerful cancer drug to combat juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Years later around the time of her 10th birthday, Natalie was prescribed Prozac for mild social anxiety. Natalie experienced many adverse drug effects to include withdrawal akathisia after being instructed by her doctor to stop Prozac and take a "medication holiday." Tragically, Kristina and her family only learned Natalie's symptoms had a name--akathisia--when Natalie, age 19, died an akathisia-induced death two days after being prescribed 200 mg of Zoloft, another SSRI.
Kristina has more than 20 years of professional experience in communications and education. She's worked for several nonprofits, corporate headquarters and public school districts. Her advocacy work includes authoring an akathisia course, providing FDA testimony and presenting crisis and risk communication at national conferences. Kristina was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, and lived with her family in the Washington, D.C. suburbs for more than 20 years.