upper abdominal/chest pain

[squill]

My daughter is 14 years old and a very active athlete who currently plays boys high school hockey and soccer. She also has exercise induced asthma and on occasion will have severe upper abdominal/chest pain which will start 15 - 30 minutes post hockey game and can last for up to one hour.  She finds relief when lying down.  She currently has been diagnosed by her physician as having a flow murmur which I have been told is very common in athletes and has made arrangements for a stress test and echocardiogram.  This pain that she experiences does not happen all the time, and for the most part only when she has played a hockey game.  She has not experienced this pain during soccer.  I have also asked her physician if it is advisable to continue to exercise while they are running these tests?  She has tryouts for a AAA hockey team in the next week and her tests will not have been done by then.   We reside rural community and are looking for any advise or suggestions available. Thanks you

[star queen]

This type of chest pain is not unusual in asthma patients.  It is unusual that it occurs during a time when she should be breathing more "normally".  I suspect that when she is playing, she is breathing in through her mouth, getting a higher amount of oxygen to keep her playing.  When she begins to settle down after playing, the amount of oxygen is reduced.  The higher oxygen from play has dried out her throat and bronchs (mucous membranes).  After play the body needs moisture to wetten the mucus membranes, but combine the reduced oxygen supply from "normalized" breathing and the now dry membranes, the bronchs will spasm.  She will start to cough and begin to hyperventilate. Chest pains will occur due to the dryed mucous membranes and the coughing. The spasm of the dry bronchs will cause chest pain. If this is her problem, there is a simple test.  After play, have her sit down and take some time to breathe through a damp (not wet) paper towel or handkerchief for a few minutes while her breathing is "normalizing". The breaths should be deeper than "normal" (to stabilize the oxygen supply), but not deep breathing, and done through the mouth. She will breath in moisture from the towel or hanky and the mucous membranes will "wetten". If her problems are due to lack of moisture on the mucous membranes, the asthma attack will either not happen or will be reduced in severity and the chest pain will either not happen or be less painful.  good luck