# Do the comatose sneeze? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583 "2003-04-23T14:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/1 "2003-04-23T14:11:19Z")
Do people in comas sneeze if they inhale to much pepper? For that matter, can they exhibit any of the following more or less involuntary bodily functions? [ul] [li]cough[/li][li]hiccough[/li][li]burp[/li][li]vomit[/li][li]defecate[/li][li]give birth[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/2 "2003-04-23T14:32:25Z")
Yes to all. ---
**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/3 "2003-04-23T14:34:16Z")
I know they can give birth, I dunno about the others. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/4 "2003-04-23T15:27:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Do people in comas sneeze if they inhale to much pepper? What kind of an asshole does this to someone in a coma? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/5 "2003-04-23T17:09:29Z")
That’s was kind of my question, **lieu!**. But its an interesting OP. Just the other day I was wondering why I never sneeze when I’m asleep (at least not as far as I’m aware of, though I have woken up in the middle of the night to sneeze). ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/6 "2003-04-23T17:13:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*What kind of an asshole does this to someone in a coma? \*\* The righteous indignation made me laugh out loud. Now people are looking at me funny. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/7 "2003-04-23T17:26:05Z")
Hasn’t anyone seen the movie, “_The World According to Garp?_”. Yes to all. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/8 "2003-04-23T17:45:06Z")
[TMI]Well, I never gave birth while I was in that coma, since I wasn’t pregnant at the time, but I know all the others occured according to my friends, family, and caregivers…actually since I was coming out of it I actually remember the vomiting part…evidently I farted alot, too. And the “flow” still occurred, of course. And my asthma still needed treatment. The GI activities I still have not figured out since I wasn’t eating anything, obviously.[/TMI] I also remembering being in distinct wake/sleep patterns, and having dreams while I was comatose, but I was not aware of it while I was deeply comatose, only as I was coming out of it. Even when I was still deep, I would open and move my eyes and vocalize, although no one could understand if I was actually speaking, or just making noises. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/9 "2003-04-23T17:46:16Z")
Forgot too mention, I could even see and hear things, just couldn’t process what they meant. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/10 "2003-04-23T18:47:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*What kind of an asshole does this to someone in a coma? \*\* Obviously not me, or I wouldn’t have to ask. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/11 "2003-04-23T20:36:01Z")
I know you wouldn’t **psychonaut** and it is an interesting OP. ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-comatose-sneeze/170583/12 "2003-04-23T22:10:32Z")
This reminds me…once, when I was in basic training, I slept through a night-time tear gas exercise. We were all sleeping, and the drill sergeants hit us with CS gas. I remained sleeping, and my dreams weren’t even bad or anything…I don’t remember being uncomfortable during the night. I’m definitely affected by tear gas; but for some reason I wasn’t that night. I was told by numerous people that they were all standing around with masks on, watching me sleep.