Always constipation.

I'm always constipated. What should I do?

I am a diabetic, 59-year-old female. I take nine pills every day and three more in the evening: metformin, glyburide, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide, Doc-Q-Lace, loratadine, Diovan, ferrous sulfate, and 81 mg aspirin. My problem is that I have a new doctor who cut down my stool softener by half, and now I'm irritable and constantly "stuck. " Sometimes I just take 3-4 so I can be comfortable. I drink a lot of water and apple juice hoping to help myself. I also love and eat oatmeal regularly, but without my stool softener I'm just not moving. I hate the feeling. I also don't take my iron because I believe it's the problem as well. I am allergic to fresh fruits and veggies so everything has to be cooked well or I break out. What options do I have? While taking the higher dose of softener, I still did not have a regular bowel movement -- maybe every 3 days, which was okay. But now it's not even that. Iron can definitely be a strong factor in causing constipation. Some of your other medications have constipation as a side effect as well. If the stool softener is not working, you could try Metamucil or Miralax once a day to see if that will help get your system back on track. If the constipation does not resolve, you should consult with your physician to see if a prescription laxative may be a better fit for you.