# Nitroglycerin Pills- Is Lighting Your Farts Advisable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 22, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474 "2003-12-22T16:28:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/1 "2003-12-22T16:28:03Z")
Nitroglycerin pills are frequently prescribed to people who suffer from angina to reduce the amount of chest pain they must endure. Nitroglycerin is also a chemical compound that is used in the manufacture of explosives such as dynamite. If a person who is taking nitroglycerin pills were to attempt to light his or her own farts, what would happen? What would happen if they tried to ignite one of their pills?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/2 "2003-12-22T16:54:42Z")
If I may, can I add a question: do the pills blow up if you hit them with a hammer? ---
**Author:** ![gluteus\_maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f17d59/32.png) [@gluteus\_maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gluteus_maximus)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/3 "2003-12-22T17:08:07Z")
Leave Grandpa’s nitroglycerin pills alone! He needs them for his heart! And keep that lighter away from his ass! Do you want to be cut out of the will? ---
**Author:** ![AJMu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@AJMu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AJMu)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/4 "2003-12-22T17:25:17Z")
I’m sorry Surreal, but you won’t be launching your grandfather any time soon. It’s true that the Nitro used in the pills and the stuff used in dynamite is the same thing, but the key is it’s dilution. There is simply not enough to produce any explosive results, plus it is also mixed with inert substances. ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/5 "2003-12-22T17:29:43Z")
No way a fart could produce the shock needed to detonate the stuff even if the pills were substituted for pure liquid. The stuff is not as sensitive as TV would had one believe. In a demonstration, a vile dropped from 30’ does nothing. Add the smallest cap and things get very loud. ---
**Author:** ![St.Urho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e7dd6/32.png) [@St.Urho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St.Urho)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/6 "2003-12-22T19:10:35Z")
Also, the nitroglycerin prescribed for heart problems is dissolved sublingually (under the tongue), not swallowed. Therefore, it’s pretty unlikely there’d be much, if any, in the digestive system at all. ---
**Author:** ![herman\_and\_bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f1d935/32.png) [@herman\_and\_bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/herman_and_bill)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/7 "2003-12-22T22:54:24Z")
Nitroglycerin is a syrupy liquid, I don’t think it vaporizes in a way that could be farted out, also it merely burns in open air, you need to confine the combustion to get an explosion, stick a fuze up your ass. And St. Urho puts an end to the foolishness. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/8 "2003-12-22T23:53:31Z")
Lighting one’s farts is _never_ advisable. QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![BlueFlames](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@BlueFlames](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueFlames)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/9 "2004-01-04T03:10:21Z")
…unless you are wearing underwear and it is a quick fart! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![PetW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@PetW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PetW)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/10 "2004-01-04T04:29:27Z")
Did you create that username just to say that? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/11 "2004-01-04T05:32:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BlueFlames \* > \*\*…unless you are wearing underwear and it is a quick fart! 🙂 \*\* Not even then! QtM, MD ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/12 "2004-01-04T05:50:18Z")
OK. I’ll bite. **QtM** why is never advisable to do this? Aside from the inadvertent depiliatory effect what is the risk? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/13 "2004-01-04T08:27:30Z")
I opened this thread for the express purpose of posting that it’s _always_ advisable to light your farts. (It’s fun, and even funnier if the lightee who isn’t me burns his ass). But no, QtM had to ruin the fun 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/14 "2004-01-04T15:30:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MonkeyMensch \* > \*\*OK. > > I’ll bite. > > **QtM** why is never advisable to do this? Aside from the inadvertent depiliatory effect what is the risk? \*\* Medically speaking, the possible benefits of doing so _never_ exceed the risks of doing so. So it is not advisable to do this. Same rationale as for not sticking a fork in an electrical socket. But people still do these things. The OP asked if it was advisable. Not from my viewpoint. That’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/15 "2004-01-04T15:54:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Medically speaking, the possible benefits of doing so _never_ exceed the risks of doing so. So it is not advisable to do this. > > Same rationale as for not sticking a fork in an electrical socket. > > But people still do these things. > > The OP asked if it was advisable. Not from my viewpoint. That’s all. \*\* Possible benifits? I cannot begin to think there would be any at all. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/16 "2004-01-04T16:05:55Z")
Laughter is the best medicine. I suppose the doctor gets the laugh when they bring the patient in with a scorched ass. Then you have “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” (if your aim is good and you can hit the target). ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/17 "2004-01-04T17:36:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Medically speaking, the possible benefits of doing so _never_ exceed the risks of doing so. So it is not advisable to do this. > \*\* Clearly you don’t think being the life of the party is a benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/18 "2004-01-04T17:52:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dignan \* > \*\*Clearly you don’t think being the life of the party is a benefit. \*\* That’s why I spoke medically. Socially, psychologically, professionally, perhaps the benefits exceed the risks for some individuals. Perhaps not. But don’t do it and claim it’s good for you for medical reasons. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Blown\_Injected](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@Blown\_Injected](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blown_Injected)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/19 "2004-01-04T18:13:46Z")
Damn, since it is still here and QTM is replying. Other than the slight singe that might occur, is there any other danger? It just does not seem as though it would hurt (if you can even go that far) more than lighting a gas grill with a match and getting a little flash ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474/20 "2004-01-04T18:54:45Z")
The risk is quite small. But the medical benefit is even smaller, and probably nonexistant. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nitroglycerin-pills-is-lighting-your-farts-advisable/220474.md?page=2)