Son Has Trouble Catching Breath

It sounds like exercise induced asthma, especially if he only has problems when exerting himself. I wouldh ave him tested. It is not uncommon for children to have exercise induced asthma and I have worked with many adults that had it as a child and grew out of it.

The two first thoughts that come to mind cardiology and asthma. If the shortness of breath causes pain I would have some tests run to see if there are any cardiology problems. Having said that, my son has asthma, but it is kind of atypical. It isn't all the time, he isn't on any daily medicine regimine, he doesn't carry around an inhaler. He only has trouble with it when he plays sports, which sucks for him because he is very athletic and hasn't seen a sport he hasn't wanted to try (with the possible exception of curling). His lungs get irritated in a sport that requires more running, especially if the weather is cool. We can tell he is having trouble (he will try not to say anything because he doesn't like alot of attention drawn to him and doesn't want to be taken out of the game) when we see him bent over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. We started taking inhalers to games and accomodated by watching the position he plays. For instance, he plays goalie in soccer instead of running the field.

Either way, if my doctor blew me off that way I would go back and be forceful and demand a referral to a cardiologist or someone who treats asthma and then I would totally fire my doctor. I do not take my son for treatment, or anywhere else for that manner, so that I can be condescended to. I know what a child who is merely out of breath looks like. I am not a hypochondriac nor do I have Munchausin Biproxy, so I expect respect and a listening ear. There are more and better doctors where that one came from, hon. Lose him.

I had this form of asthma when I was young. It is very rough going. The way it was all explained to me was...
As a healthy person, run for a good stretch then stop and try to breath through a straw.
I would first look for a new doctor. I'm not sure where you are from but I know that Riley Childrens Hospital in Indianapolis, In. is very good should you have trouble finding the help you need. Good luck! Shannon Gosser
PS. My asthma problem didn't get discovered until I was in the 6th grade, I believe it was so you're ahead of the game.

S.

hi. you might call your high school's athletic trainer. see what they think. i had a niece in middle school/high school that seemed to display some of the same symptoms and the high school's atheltic trainer told them she had athletic induced asthma. it is brought on by over exerting themselves. ex: like during sports(nicole ran track). i am not really sure of all the details, ect. but they might be able to help. good luck. and take care.

C.

I've had asthma my whole life.... and a Doctor should not have written you a prescription for an inhaler unless your son has been tested thoroughly to make sure that is the case. Those inhalers are not all that great for you and if it can be avoided or found out if it's something else it should be. Maybe you can take him to a pulmonologist or another Doctor. They should order an Pulmonary Function Test (PFT), have him start using a Peak Flow Meter and put him on some sort of "preventative" type inhaler, not a rescue one right off the bat. Asthma can be a scary thing for little ones, and sometimes the panic can make it worse. I'm sorry you're going through this, i know how you feel. Find a good doctor to do the right tests... it will be worth it if he's really into sports. Hope all goes well. Take Care.

P.S. I see some people talking about Albuterol. This is really not the best choice.. i was on this and Prednisone as a child and have all sorts of eye, teeth and various other bone issues from these steroids. They have a new one out now called Zopanex (not sure of spelling) but it's supposed to be safer for children. I would ask about that as a rescue inhaler option. Also i know lots of people who have had great success with Advair, which is a preventive type inhaler, used twice a day everyday. Research what the doctors give you, because they don't always know or care about the long term effects of these medications.

Just from reading that I would definately say "exercise induced asthma" but I'm no doctor. I myself have "exercise induced asthma" I was diagnosed with it in the 7th grade, while playing basketball. I couldn't play because I couldn't breath. I don't know what kind of inhaler the doctor gave you, but if it is an albuterol inhaler, give him (1-2 puffs) before exercising...not after when he struggling. Give it before to help open his airways and help prevent problems. If when he is done and he is still having difficulties give him another puff of it.
If that does not work you are going to have to go back to the doctor and seek further medication. Most doctors do not like to diagnose any child with asthma (so they make it seem like they blew you off).
My son is 5 and he was diagnosed at 2, but when you had as much trouble as he did...its obvious. However, my son's asthma is allergy and weather induced. If Brier gets a cold...he is usually going to have some difficulties.
My son and I both take singular (asthma/allergy med) it does wonders. I can not remember the last time I've had to use my inhaler, but I do still use it prior to exercising. I don't let it control my life. I know my body and so Im better at judging things with myself than with another child - but you can not let it run his life. You can't take him out of sports and things just because of it. Thats what happened to me...I got taken off the ball team, sadly I was a good player, and I was mad. It also made me feel like "well I have asthma I can't run." So I didn't. It took me a long time to decide that I wasn't going to let it get the best of me and I don't allow it to get the best of my son either. He plays sports and I watch him closely.
Asthma - even though I dont think they tell you this - I believe is inherited. My mom has it, her brother has it, I have it, my son has...it runs in the family.
My son also takes an inhaler called Flovent. 2 puffs at bedtime with his singular. It's a preventative med and since we've been doing this we have had ZERO ER visits and he managed to recover from a cold on his very own!
I highly suggest going back to your doctor. This is your child, not his, and like it or not you know when something is just not right with you child. Mother's intuition and you can't ignore that.
Let me know if you have further questions. I've been dealing with asthma and doctors for years!
I'll be praying!
~T~

Hi S.,

This sounds like exercise-induced asthma to me. I developed this as a child and was also completely blown off by my doctor, whom my mother trusted completely so she never bothered pursuring a 2nd opinion. The result was that I ended up so frustrated and embarrassed (my Mom kept telling me I just wasn't in good enough shape) that I pretty much gave up sports. After finally being diagnosed in college, I am once again into sports, but I've never really learned to manage my asthma fully, probably as a result of living with it for so long that I don't immediately recognize the onset of symptoms when I need to be pulling out my inhaler. Please don't let this happen to your son. Get him a 2nd opinion, probably with a specialist, so that he can be properly diagnosed. Good luck.

Hi S.,
This sounds like asthma to me. I have it and I can tell you there is no more SCARY feeling in the world than not being able to breathe. I 'd get a second opinion for your little guy, because asthma can be serious. Good Luck!

I have excerise induced asthma, and it sounds like your son may too. Mine was diagnosed in the ER during one of my episodes. If you don't want to add the trauma of an ER visit for your son, you may want to make an appointment with a pediatric allergist who may be able to diagnose. The problem with this type of asthma is that it is difficult to arrive at the diagnosis unless an attack is witnessed by the doctor.

S.-
It definitely sounds like asthma. One of the boys on my sons baseball team has it and that is what it sounds like. I would get another opinion (and maybe swithc peds) if they are blowing you off. Asthma can be serious. My daughter (1.5) was finally diagnosed with asthma by Children's Hospital. Maybe you can find a specialist associated with them to evaluate your son. I know of some in the Mason, OH area but dont know where you are located. But I would get him checked as soon as you can so that he can safely participate with his baseball team.

Good luck.

S.,
You really need to have him tested for Asthma. He needs to see a Pulmanologist. If your insurance is a PPO then you do not need a referal. It will get you in quicker but you don't need it. If your insurance requires a referal then go back to your doctor and demand they refer you to a specialist. If they won't then find a doctor who will. My daughter went through this and would not participate in sports for years. She has chronic sinusitus that presents similar to asthma. She is so much better now, no thanks to the Pediatricican that would not take me seriously, but to the doctors at Riley Children's Hospital. She is now a very active 8 year old who loves Basketball and cheerleading.

Good Luck!

A little about me:
I have been married to my husband for 11 1/2 years. We have two children a 9 yo son and 8 yo daughter and are expecting another boy this summer. I work part time and am looking forward to staying home for a while after the baby is born.

Personally I would go to another doctor and get another opinion. Look at all the kids and teenagers that have those problems and it is something with their heart, sometimes. They say moms know best. If your not satisfied with what the dr. is telling you, go to another one or demand more tests. Best of luck. Keep us posted. That as to be so hard for him since he enjoys sports.

M. in medina

sounds like he has sportsw induced Asthma. My son had this also, Scared us but Dr put him on meds to use and everything turned out ok.

I am going to scare you here!!!!!!!!!!! In our school district in Anna, OH, about 2 yrs. ago there was a little boy only maybe around 12 yrs. old who his parents had always known he was asthmatic and he was treated by a doctor. The family and doctors thought he had almost outgrown his asthma as he hadnt' had any attacks for a long time and if he did have an episode it was very mild.
Then one day he was out in the yard playing ball with his dad, and something triggered an attack, and it was the worst attack, he DIDN'T recover at all. The dad knew what to do and did everything that could possibly be done and it didn't work. He was dead.
It was a young boy that had been on my husband's school bus route, and now that seat is empty. I had been to a garage sale of theirs and that little boy sold me lemonade, now, not anymore.
I'm sorry to say this but I don't think much of your pediatrician at ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get a different one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Find someone that will refer you to a children's hospital, they do awesome work with things like asthma.

Yep, sounds like excercise induced asthma. Get a peak flow meter. They're great for letting you know how bad the situation is. Also, I would seek out a new doctor if you don't feel like you were listened to. Don't be afraid of using the inhaler. It will make him feel better (but maybe a little shakey) and that may allow him to feel like he can give it his best in sports. You might also try giving him 2 puffs before his game. That may prevent the episode from occuring again. Best of luck to you and let us know what happens.

I would ask for an x-ray first!! The reason I say this, is because I just went through an episode with my soon to be 5 yr old. She was coughing CONSTANTLY for a month-month and a half and the doctors said nothing was wrong with her. They finally did an x-ray to look at her lungs and they found that she had reactive airway disease...a form of asthma! The wouldn't have found it if the x-ray wasn't done...mainly because with the 3 appts she had prior...her lungs were CLEAR!...or so they said! We went to a pediatric pulmonologist and they did testing and a physical exam (and looked at the x-rays) and he told me that if he were to have a million dollars to place one bet in Vegas..that he'd put it on ASTHMA! My daughter has been on an inhaler (Flovent) daily since then...twice a day (AM and PM) and we have an emergency inhaler as well (Albuterol). It has done WONDERS for her cough. They also sent home some information on things that trigger it and ways that kids act/react to it and I can see that the signs were there all along, but we just didn't know!

I hope this helps! Please keep us informed and good luck!

I have two children with asthma and cystic fibrosis and from my own personal experience I can say what you describe is asthma that is triggered by rigorous physical activity. If your doctor continues to blow the subject off I would consider getting a second opinion. If your child has asthma I can tell you it feels like someone is tightening a chain around his chest and it is painful. I wouldn't blame him if he doesn't try to overdo it. Who would? When he does have these episodes, what has worked in the past for us is to drink really cold water because it helps calm down the inflamed bronchial tubes. Also, and I know this is going to sound weird but it works, we give the child a drink of really cold mountain dew because the caffeine in the soft drink helps to open up the airways. (I figure it works something like albuterol inhaler as it too is a stimulant) Anyhow, I hope this works for you. Important that you remain calm and keep reassuring your son that this is going to pass and to try to keep calm himself. Crying and getting upset will only cause the episode to worsen. Let me know how things work out!

As most kknow not all doctors are the same, personality defects may be to blame, I through much trial and error would suggest either get pissy with them and tell them what you want to happen or find another doctor. If that means seeing a dozen of them to find the right one then do it ..this is your sons life. To most of these doctors its all about the money and they really dont care about doing what needs to be done, like sending someone out to see a specialist, That takes money out of there pocket.They want you to keep comming back, Of course that is just my opinion. I also played sports when i was younger and it could just be he is out of shape from taking time off. Tell him to take it easy for a few practices and get his body and lungs adjusted to the activity..He is competing with other kids who may be faster and pushing himself to hard. There are many sits online to look into for ashma. my son happens to have it It is a very scary thing and if you think it might be what he has i would ask the doctors for an emergency inhailer. Even if its not ashma the inhailer wont hurt him but if it is it could be a life saver..good luck and tell your son he can make up for alot of the phycial shortcommings just by being smarter than everyone else, thats where the real speed and strenght comes from..knowing the game...

Hi S.!
It sounds like it could be asthma, in which case your doctor's prescription of an inhaler was the only answer he could give, really. There's not much else you can do for it. I was diagnosed with asthma by my allergist when I was in 8th grade. I had (and still have) allergy-induced and to some extent exercise-induced asthma. I was playing on a soccer league team at the time and decided to give it up because of getting asthma, but looking back I regret that. I've found with more experience that my asthma improves as I get in shape. When I've been out of shape and start trying to get back into shape (in school sports we might call this period "conditioning") I have a lot of trouble breathing. I have to take my inhaler a couple times to calm my breathing down. But as I get more in shape, I am able to go longer without the inhaler and recover more quickly. After a while I don't need it at all. It sounds to me that your child might have some slight asthma and when he pushes himself, he has some trouble. He doesn't understand what is happening to himself, so that tension make things even worse. I would suggest two things. First, help your son get in shape slowly only pushing himself a little bit at a time (lots of sports teams want you to get in shape quick so they push really hard). This will require daily work. Don't assume that because he's active, he's in shape. Endurance requires time to build up. Second, when he has trouble breathing, do let him try the inhaler. They really help. Even if he doesn't have asthma, the inhaler will help. Sometimes they give inhalers to people who have really bad colds/pneumonia to help them breathe. Please try it. But don't overdo it and don't use the non-prescription type (they are basically just epinephrine). Also, be aware of what type of inhaler you've been given. Some need to be taken on a regular basis and some are to be used only as needed.
Best of luck to you as you try and figure things out.
J. (31 year old SAHM of 2 kids, ages 6,2)

Hi S.,
Sounds like asthma to me. My son (almost 7) has seasonal asthma. He was finally diagnosed last fall when we moved and switched doctors. His symptoms, mainly coughing alot, especially at night) would start every fall when cold weather would hit. When I took him to the doctor she immediately knew what was wrong and put him on Advair & Singulair. She couldn't believe that he hadn't been diagnosed before even though I had asked his previous doctor about asthma because I had read alot and felt that was his problem. The new pediatrician also told me that his growth had been affected by it. (when the coughing would start he would become really irritable and wouldn't eat much and that lasted all through the winter and spring).
So, my advice to you is find another doctor. It isn't something to mess around with and you need to have the medicine that he needs. We have 2 different types of breathing meds for his nebulizer for when things get really bad and we know what to watch for now. When he gets sick, his asthma is worsened and he requires different meds.
He doesn't have the typical wheezing and signs of difficulty breathing that you think of when you think of asthma. But, the doctor explained that asthma shows itself in alot of different ways.
Find another doctor, a pediatrician or a pulmonologist. Read up on asthma on the web and see if you son has any other symptoms. (coughing at night, clearing his throat, irritability, not sleeping well at night, waking up)
I hope you find someone to diagnose him. It is so frustraing when you know something isn't right with your child and we need to remember, mothers know their children better than anyone, we know when something is wrong!!

Have you done BREATHING exercises with him? You'd be surprised how many people are "chest breathers" and do NOT breathe properly? I talk to people about it ALL the time. Has he had a chest x-ray to make sure there is no blockage of any type in his respiratory system?

I'd to some deep breathing exercises FIRST. If it doesn't help at all.....then have a chest x-ray done. Almost ALWAYS, unless there is an obstruction...the exercises help.

Another thing to consider.......what's his diet like? Is there anything that might be constricting his airway?? Might want to research the possibliities. In addition, CO Q10 is something that improves oxygenation to the cells. Normally, you don't think about it for kids, but in this case, I might consider it IF some of the other things don't help.

Dear S.,
I myself would see if I could get a different pediatrician, or at least a second opinion. I have done a google search for you. Print out some info and take it w/you. The first link is all about "sport asthma in children" here's that one..
http://www.asthma.co.za/articles/ref12.htm
Let me know if any of this helps you w/your next visit to the pediatrician..even if it's the same one..print it out!

This next one if filled w/info for you to look thru. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/asthmainchildren.html
GOOD LUCK TO YOU!
K. M aka
____@____.com

I am a nurse as well as have had asthma since childhood. One symptom that concerns me is the pain in his chest. I would see a pediatric pulmonologist or allergy doctor. Many family doctors ignore a mom's concerns and this can be terrible. I have a son who was misdiagnosed and ended up having cancer! He is now 7 years in remission and doing well but my worries were ignored!. If your instincts say he is sick then find a doctor who will listen. Ask friends who have a child with asthma to recommend someone. Also, one way to determine if it is asthma is to have him use the inhaler before he runs and see if it eliminates the problem, if it doesn't then you can inform the doctor of this. good luck!

Get a new Dr.
Sounds to me like your son has Asthma.
This can be VERY dangerous if left untreated.
I hope you can get him the help he needs.

Signed,
a mom with asthma herself. ;o)

The inhaler is what they give for sport induced asthma. I have sport induced asthma and this definitly sounds like it. I would go to a second doctor to get more of an opinion, and more information about it. Sometimes they will suggest you use the inhalor if you know your going to be doing running, like 20 minutes before the game. Or they will give you a different inhalor to use before the game, and this one to use if youhave an attack. Definitly go talk to someone else about it.

S., If I were in your situation, I would take my son to a different doctor. I am a respiratory therapist and my first thought would be yes, exercise induced asthma and the second thought would be something cardiac. NOT TO SAY THAT IT IS EITHER ONE!! But, I would definitely want to get both of them ruled out.

If your insurance does not require a referral to see a specialist, I would take him to see a pulmonologist. My son is only 9 months old, and I work at hospital that does not see children, so I am not familiar with any pulmonologists that see kids...but I am sure the test is the same for adults and children. To test for exercise induced asthma in adults, it is just a series of breathing tests. Basically, a therapist has the patient breath into a mouth piece device that looks like a large tube...a series of short quick breaths, deep long breaths, deep breath in and blow out as long and as hard as you can...ect. Then they put you on a treadmill and test your breathing again after your are done exercising. During the treadmill part, your oxygenation is monitored and so is your heart with an EKG. If it is not exercise induced asthma, the pulmonologist would recommend the next step to take.

Maybe the website for Children's...oh, it is now called Nationwide Children's...lol....would have some info on finding a pulmonologist for kids.

Hope this helps some! Sorry your Pedi is not being supportive! That is horrible. I ran into that with my son. I kept telling my Pedi that something was 'just not right' developmentally with my baby at the 2, 4, and 6 month check ups and he kept blowing me off. My son never developed a social smile or reciprocal babbling...and a few other things. I took him for a developmental screening on my own, finally, at 7 months and he has been diagnosed with 'developmental language delay at risk for autism spectrum disorder'. NOT what I wanted to hear, but I knew something was not right. My point is, trust your instincts! Moms KNOW when something is not right. And needless to say, we now have a different Pedi.

Best of luck!
M. F

For starters I would suggest finding another doctor. For the doctor to just blow you off is not a good doctor at all. My son has issues with bronchiospasms which is similar to asthma. His doctor prescribed an inhaler for him along with prednisone liquid to take when he needs it. He also has him on claritin for allergies which he has pretty bad. After he has been running for a while he is not in pain but he does gasp for breath and wheezes. The inhaler is a quick rescue medication but if that doesn't help then we give him the prednisone as well. The prednisone is a steroid that will also help to open his tubes in his lungs. I would start by finding another doctor.
D.

I am 31 and have been married for almost 12 yrs. My husband and I have 3 boys ages 10,7 and 4.

S.,

PLEASE, PLEASE, insist that someone give him an EKG to make sure that his heart is functioning correctly. It only takes a few minutes and involves nothing more that a few sticky patches with wires attached to your body. This is how I always felt as a child. I wasn't diagnosed with a heart defect until I was in my late 30's. This could have killed me at any time in my life up until then. I avoided any type of exertion or excersize because I just thought I was lazy (that's what everyone always told me). There is always the possibility of Sudden Cardiac Death at any age with these types of health problems.

My husband at this age was diagnosed with Exersice Induced Asthma, so he does not have typical asthma, but the same sort of symptoms your describing. Nausea and vomiting too. He actually have an inhaler that he takes before doing sports and he has no problems. For the most part as an adult he's grown out of it so to speak. I would consult another doctor for a second opinion. Mom's know best what's going on with their kids. You are with them all the time, the doctor isn't.

It sounds like your son may have asthma...the symptoms seem exactly like mine and i have had asthma for 12 years now..try suggesting that your sons doctor test him for it and in the meantime limit how much he exercises

Hi, S. --

When it comes to something as important as breathing, I would say it's YOU who should be blowing off your pediatrician.

You're a smart Mom to not just take this casual response as the answer. You know your son, and you can already see that there are starting to be resultant effects from this difficulty. Time to nip it in the bud or at least get a definitive answer as to what the problem might be.

I have experienced a somewhat similar problem myself, but, in my case, I think my problem was a result of some severe reflux and a hiatal hernia. In any case, I went to a pulmonologist, and they did some stress testing on me and also measured my lung volume.

I think a pulmonologist would be able to at least give you an educated opinion about whether or not this is asthma. Also, it seems that it would be important to determine if your son's heart function is proper. I would take this stuff absolutely seriously. I think doctors are sometimes predisposed to discount what they hear from us parents, thinking we are paranoid. But nobody ever died from over-caution, at least, that's my contention.

I wish you luck in finding the right practitioner to ensure that everything is OK with your son. You and he deserve no less!!

Best regards,
H.

Wow, I wouldn't like that answer either. My son was diagnosed with sports related asthma. He is 14 and was diagnosed a few years ago. He has an inhaler that he uses as needed. He keeps one in his hockey bag. another boy on his team carried and inhaler too. That boy actually had to keep it at the bench. It's not uncommon. He may want to use it before sports and keep it on hand during.

When my son was about 6 years old, he developed problems breathing. His problem was so severe, I had to take him to the emergency, where they began breathing treatments. He was put on steroids and other medications which I was told he would have to take the rest of his life. Of course, this was not an acceptable situation, so I began to look through our house to determine what could be triggering his lung congestion. I was so worried that I had him sleep in my bed to listen to his breathing.

He was on a strict vegetarian diet, while I began cleaning out his colon with enemas. I also cleaned all the carpet in our house and attempted to eliminate any other possible triggers in the house.

Now he is 12 years old, plays basketball, football, runs track and has not used steroids or inhalers ever again.

I am a Colon Hydro-therapist and I have seen the health benefits of cleaning the colon out.

Hi S.,
I suggest taking your son to an asthma specialist. When I was a kid and playing gamaes that included running hard it always took me a long time to catch my breath. I found out YEARS later that I have asthma. My mom tried to tell me that I never had asthma when I was a kid but I told her that I think that I did & we just didn't know it!

L.

Make a visit with a cardiologist and/or a pulmonologist. The chest pain could be the lungs or heart. Couldn't hurt, and he'll get a throrough exam that will at least ease your mind if they don't find anything. Good luck!

Hi, If this were my son I would get an appointment with an asthma and allergy specialist. My 12 yr. old son has had allergies his whole life and the symptoms were continually blown off by our family dr. He would occassionally prescribe some meds for him, which weren't taking care of the core issue. My friends daughter, who is my son's age, and has on the other hand been treated for asthma and allergies most of her life by a family dr. has recently went to an asthma and allergy specialist. She has been test and does not have either, no asthma and not one single allergy! But the dr. said with her symptoms there was something going on, and has narrowed it down to one of five things. Through this process of elimination she is off all the meds her previous dr has had her on since nearly age 2, (10 years of meds, she didn't need)and has not had an episode with her breathing in several months. Beacuse of the dr.'s persistance in finding an answer, this is the dr. I began taking my son to. Just ask around your community and see who is recommended and why, (if you live in the piqua - dayton ohio area I'll give you her name). If he is tested and it comes back fine, then you can eliminate that. But if that is the problem, you both will be breathing easier.
God Bless.

I have a 7 yr old daughter with asthma. She also plays sports every season. When she has a bad attack the inhaler dosen't help, she needs her breathing treatment. She was diagnosed when she was 2 at the emergency room. I would take him to another Dr. for a second opinion. It sounds like it is asthma and if it is I know it can be painful. I have been up many nights with a crying child because she can't breath. Is there a cough when he is having an attack? Definitly take him to another Dr. If he does have asthma and it gets that bad the inhaler won't help and you will need a prescription for a breathing machine. If you do need one and depending on your insurance, Apria is a good place to get one. I got mine from there and I didn't have to pay anything for it because our insurance paid it all. They will deliver it to your house and show you how to use it.

I would highly suggest getting another doctor and have them do stress tests on your son. We as parents have to have a very closer eye on our children that participate in sports. Please contact a new doctor as soon as you can.
M.

take him to emergency room next time if they dont run x ray or blood work ask them for a referal to asthma doctor and see what he thinks -does he wheeze when he has these attacks ? i would get him a new dr also it doesnt sound as if this one cares enough to help him -we do have the right to tell our doctors what we want done even if they dont agree-you could try telling him to run the test so you would have peace of mind and know what to do next he may respond to that

Change doctors !!!!!!!!!!!!

I used to have asthma. I started to outgrow it when I was in junior high. I played sports all through high school and this sounds like something that I went through in my later years of sports. I could run, but after a certain amount of time I just couldn't catch my breath. I would always make myself finish because I didn't want anyone to think I was getting special treatment. It would take at least a half hour before I could breath right again. I would say you should change doctors. Your breathing is very important and when your doctor just brushes you off about a concern in that area you should switch. Does he wheeze any other time? It may just be something that an inhaler would help. I would say for his sake get him checked out even if it is just a second opinion. I have had a doctor blow me off with my daughters crying and make me think I was crazy and after I switched doctors we found out the real problem. Mommies instinct is pretty good, and you know your son the best. Insist that there is a problem until someone listens to you. Asthma can be very dangerous, but doesn't have to be.
good luck