Your Stories About Medications
A Recovery Shaped by Deprescribing: Micheline’s Story
In this real-life testimonial, learn about Micheline’s journey: how deprescribing—and developing a trusting relationship with a healthcare professional—changed her life for the better.
We thank Micheline for generously sharing her story with our Network.
Micheline
Where it Began: Starting Pain Medications After Surgery
In 2023, Micheline underwent a major spinal operation and suffered from intense pain for months. Morphine helped relieve the pain, but it had a major impact on her quality of life. During that time, Micheline suffered from issues with her memory and balance: “On some occasions, I even forgot my children's names!” she says now. Sometimes, she confused the time of day, thinking it was evening when it was the middle of the afternoon. She'd fall asleep standing up in the middle of a conversation, forget words, and even make mistakes writing her own name. “I was scared,” Micheline says, “I remember feeling like I was losing touch with this world.”
When leaving the hospital after this spinal surgery, Micheline’s doctor had told her she would have to slowly stop taking morphine over the coming months. The prospect of feeling that intense pain again terrified her. Without a family doctor, she didn’t know who she could turn to for help. Luckily, realizing she couldn’t stop taking morphine on her own, she turned to her local pharmacy.
Meeting A Healthcare Provider Prepared to Help
Julie Leboeuf has been a pharmacist since 2022. When Micheline went to see her, she listened attentively to her concerns and asked about her symptoms. She shared that both drowsiness and cognitive issues can be side effects of morphine. In recent years, pharmacists in Quebec have been able to help patients reduce or stop certain medications—a process known as deprescribing—to improve their safety. Julie offered to accompany Micheline, supporting her through the process of deprescribing morphine.
“We became an extraordinary team,” says Micheline. Together, they set up a plan to very gradually reduce her morphine. Every two weeks, they reduced the dose slightly. Before each dose reduction, Micheline and Julie checked in to make sure everything was going well. At first, the idea of pain returning frightened Micheline, but she felt reassured as Julie used each follow-up to ensure she wasn’t experiencing any severe withdrawal effects or return of intense pain. It’s important to mention that Micheline was also supported in this process by incorporating physiotherapy into her care.
Julie Leboeuf, pharmacist
How Micheline’s Deprescribing Journey Helped Her—and What She Learned
Because Micheline's pain did not return, they were able to stick to their plan. And after several weeks, Micheline stopped taking the medication completely. She noticed many improvements over time: she didn’t have to struggle to find her words, could stay awake all day, and felt more energetic. Gradually, she was able to rebuild her social life: she could eat out and go to the movies again with her children. For Micheline, Julie’s help allowed her to regain control of her life and to “rekindle her spark”. She remains deeply grateful.
Micheline wishes more people were aware of the role that pharmacists can play in adjusting or deprescribing medication. She is also grateful to the other healthcare professionals, such as physiotherapists, whose support was essential throughout her recovery as well.
Julie encourages patients to consult with their pharmacist more often. Pharmacists play an essential role in monitoring medications. They are an ideal person with whom to have a conversation about whether your medications are still appropriate and safe. When Julie and Micheline discussed the pros and cons of the morphine Micheline was taking, they concluded that the harm outweighed the benefits. Julie acknowledges that pharmacists can sometimes be very busy. But at the same time, she wants to encourage patients not to be discouraged. For non-urgent situations, a follow-up can simply be scheduled at a convenient time. With Micheline, each appointment was relatively short, but the deprescribing process had a considerable impact on her quality of life. For Julie, it has been a deeply rewarding experience.
What Julie Wishes More Patients Knew!
Ever since her experience with Micheline, Julie has felt more comfortable offering to support her patients in deprescribing medications that may not be suitable for them. She encourages everyone to pay attention to how they feel when taking their medications, and to be aware of possible side effects. In her opinion, a well-informed patient can better spot when a medication is becoming harmful or when it's time to stop. It’s a win-win situation.
Julie encourages patients to consult with their pharmacist more often.
In Conclusion: Everyone’s Deprescribing Journey Will Be Unique
It's important to remember that everyone is different. The time needed to deprescribe a medication can vary depending on your situation. When we stop taking medications like opioids, for example, it's possible that some pain might come back. When this is the case, we need to make sure that pain is manageable. Physiotherapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) are two examples of tools that can help with pain management, either in addition to medications or on their own.
