VA VA - Robert Hourihan, 33, Columbia, 8 April 2011

[Leomoon80]

Do we have a Date of Birth for Robert Lee Hourihan?

I can't find it.

I heard mention he was born in NY.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...d=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

Poster or Missing link does not mention his Date of Birth.

 

[Darcyline]

Murder would be one of the last things I would think about. My immediate thought if my big boyfriend did the same thing would be he is in a ditch somewhere or drove off a bridge OR he ran away/left me in a close second. Big men aren't really like 90 pound females where someone, on the spur of the moment, may decide to grab them and shove them into trunks.
To me, that means something isn't being said. Like, if I knew my boyfriend was involved with some bad people for whatever reason I may be a lot more likely to think murder immediately. Him lying about being on duty for work would make me think that he knew something was up too-either that he would be leaving or that he knew people were after him?

I wonder if the daily heart medication is something that NEEDS to be taken every day or more of a preventative. I know a lot of people who take daily heart-related pills, but it isn't because they will explode if they don't for one day. Depending on that answer, I will lean one way or the other.

 

[Melanie]

Murder would be one of the last things I would think about. My immediate thought if my big boyfriend did the same thing would be he is in a ditch somewhere or drove off a bridge OR he ran away/left me in a close second. Big men aren't really like 90 pound females where someone, on the spur of the moment, may decide to grab them and shove them into trunks.
To me, that means something isn't being said. Like, if I knew my boyfriend was involved with some bad people for whatever reason I may be a lot more likely to think murder immediately. Him lying about being on duty for work would make me think that he knew something was up too-either that he would be leaving or that he knew people were after him?

I wonder if the daily heart medication is something that NEEDS to be taken every day or more of a preventative. I know a lot of people who take daily heart-related pills, but it isn't because they will explode if they don't for one day. Depending on that answer, I will lean one way or the other.

Just chiming in here. I take heart medication (3) for an irregular heartbeat. I had to stop taking them when I was PG with my son, but did end up in the hospital several times to get it regulated again. I'll take it for the rest of my life until I decide to ever get heart surgery (quite frankly I'd rather take the meds then deal with that).

I can go about 48-72 hours before it's starts beating out of my chest (without meds). So yah, I'd be interested in knowing what kind of meds he was taking and the diagnosis. My husband suffered from A-FIB and had to take meds - but eventually had surgery, as his diagnosis could result in blood clots and death. He's been so healthy for over 7 years now.

SO -- my other thought is, he could have gone just about anywhere to get a new script and paid cash for it (new doctor, etc).

This case is fascinating, as men (like my husband) don't dissapear into thin air very often. Or at least the good dads/husbands don't. I'm not going to lump him into the gang members or criminals that are murdered due to being involved with unscrupulous characters. I don't think there's anything out there that shows he wasn't anyting but a stand up guy.

MOO

Mel

 

[SurfieTX]

Murder would be one of the last things I would think about. My immediate thought if my big boyfriend did the same thing would be he is in a ditch somewhere or drove off a bridge OR he ran away/left me in a close second. Big men aren't really like 90 pound females where someone, on the spur of the moment, may decide to grab them and shove them into trunks.

To me, that means something isn't being said. Like, if I knew my boyfriend was involved with some bad people for whatever reason I may be a lot more likely to think murder immediately. Him lying about being on duty for work would make me think that he knew something was up too-either that he would be leaving or that he knew people were after him?

I wonder if the daily heart medication is something that NEEDS to be taken every day or more of a preventative. I know a lot of people who take daily heart-related pills, but it isn't because they will explode if they don't for one day. Depending on that answer, I will lean one way or the other.

BBM: I totally agree.

 

[SyraKelly]

just checking in..anything on the Target video yet?

 

[mayqueen]

(snip)

I wonder if the daily heart medication is something that NEEDS to be taken every day or more of a preventative. I know a lot of people who take daily heart-related pills, but it isn't because they will explode if they don't for one day. Depending on that answer, I will lean one way or the other.

According to his wife, the heart condition was very serious, and Rob would become ill after missing just a single dose:

Rob Hourihan has a serious heart condition which requires daily medication. His medication is still in a kitchen cabinet at his Columbia home. No refills have been requested of his physician. “If he’s late just one day he gets cold sweats, migraines and major vomiting,” his wife said, citing his health as another reason she doesn’t believe he is alive.

link: http://www.fluvannareview.com/index...s-disappearance&catid=34:headlines&Itemid=152

If what his wife says about his condition is true, then I just can't see him taking off without his meds. At this point, I don't think he left voluntarily... unless he planned to take his own life?

Something shady/secretive was going on IMO, though I don't know what. Rob put on his uniform and told his wife he was going to work even though he wasn't scheduled to work that day... so whatever it is that he was planning to do that day, he didn't want his wife to know about it.

Did anyone else catch this?:

But Rob Hourihan didn’t have to work that Friday. Why was he in his uniform? “I have no explanation,” said Tara Hourihan. “As far as I know he was on his way to work.” She said that that Fluvanna authorities know what Hourihan “was trying to do,” but they have not told her what that was.

(snip)

[Lt.] Wells said he couldn’t say why Hourihan dressed for work that day. “There are some things we just can’t comment on,” he said.

So possibly LE knows what happened to Rob, or has a good idea?

This is a very strange case.

 

[SurfieTX]

"Rob Hourihan has a serious heart condition which requires daily medication. His medication is still in a kitchen cabinet at his Columbia home. No refills have been requested of his physician. “If he’s late just one day he gets cold sweats, migraines and major vomiting,” his wife said, citing his health as another reason she doesn’t believe he is alive."

Well, sorry, but I don't think that's heart medication. It sounds more like opiate/pain pill withdrawals to me.

 

[Soulmagent]

"Rob Hourihan has a serious heart condition which requires daily medication. His medication is still in a kitchen cabinet at his Columbia home. No refills have been requested of his physician. “If he’s late just one day he gets cold sweats, migraines and major vomiting,” his wife said, citing his health as another reason she doesn’t believe he is alive."

Well, sorry, but I don't think that's heart medication. It sounds more like opiate/pain pill withdrawals to me.

Clonidine is used to treat blood presure and it causes withdrawl effect just missing one dose. It also treats ADD. Not sure what else. It shows up on the list for heart drugs.

http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/medicine/prescription-heart-drugs.htm

 

[Melanie]

"Rob Hourihan has a serious heart condition which requires daily medication. His medication is still in a kitchen cabinet at his Columbia home. No refills have been requested of his physician. “If he’s late just one day he gets cold sweats, migraines and major vomiting,” his wife said, citing his health as another reason she doesn’t believe he is alive."

Well, sorry, but I don't think that's heart medication. It sounds more like opiate/pain pill withdrawals to me.

I agree. I'm not a doctor though, but I've yet to take, or know anyone who takes, heart medication that would cause these kind of symptoms.

Sure sounds like a pain/opiate withdrawal to me. I wonder if it could be xanax or something for nerves? Who knows at this point. So many things the wife says boggles me.

MOO

Mel

 

[SurfieTX]

Opiate Withdrawal Using Clonidine

A Safe, Effective, and Rapid Nonopiate Treatment

Clonidine hydrochloride was administered to ten patients in an inpatient setting after abrupt discontinuation of chronic methadone hydrochloride administration. Clonidine produced a rapid and statistically significant decrease in opiate withdrawal signs and symptoms. Clonidine administration for 14 days enabled all patients to be successfully detoxified from chronic opiate administration. In all patients studied, clonidine was a safe and effective nonopiate treatment of opiate withdrawal that suppressed the affect, signs, and symptoms of opiate withdrawal.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/243/4/343.abstract

That said, it is used for hypertension as well.

 

[mayqueen]

Nothing new on Rob's case? His car was found a month and a half ago - and I don't think we've heard anything yet re: possible security camera footage from the parking lot?

Where is this man?

 

[Ladydoc]

I am an internal medicine physician and I can tell you clonidine is used almost exclusively as a blood pressure lowering medicine. It is included in the lay person's vernacular as "heart medicine.". Clonidine can be used in the setting af acute drug withdrawal, but would not be prescribed as a long-term maintenance med for this purpose.

 

[mayqueen]

I am an internal medicine physician and I can tell you clonidine is used almost exclusively as a blood pressure lowering medicine. It is included in the lay person's vernacular as "heart medicine.". Clonidine can be used in the setting af acute drug withdrawal, but would not be prescribed as a long-term maintenance med for this purpose.

Thanks ladydoc! Do you know of any maintenance medications for "a serious heart condition" that would cause the patient to become ill (headaches, vomiting) if he or she missed a dose? I'm still scratching my head on this...

 

[JBounds]

I've been searching all over the internet since I last posted and have found nothing new in the case. And was hoping they would have shown the Target surveillance video by now.

 

[SurfieTX]

I am an internal medicine physician and I can tell you clonidine is used almost exclusively as a blood pressure lowering medicine. It is included in the lay person's vernacular as "heart medicine.". Clonidine can be used in the setting af acute drug withdrawal, but would not be prescribed as a long-term maintenance med for this purpose.

What would be the symptoms if Robert quit taking his daily dose of clonidine? I can understand the headache part due to elevated HTN, but cold shakes and vomiting? If he were diaphoretic and vomiting, that'd be MI city as far as I know, not just a simple side effect.

 

[eeyorelrn]

The cold shakes and vomiting can be attributed to any number of heart conditions... Remember these are among the most common complaints seen when people go to the ER with "heart problems". If his problem was arrythmia related (which means he has an irregular heart beat) there are any number of conditions that require medication, some of which require very strict schedules for the medication. These will also cause the headaches, shakes, and vomiting complaints.

 

[Ladydoc]

I suspect the medication in question is a beta blocker. These are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, but also certain heart rhythm problems and even heart failure. They are especially effective in men. Abrupt withdrawal can cause rebound hypertension (severe sudden spike in blood pressure) or even precipitate a myocardial infarction. Most other meds used to treat serious heart conditions have a long half life meaning they take a few days or longer to wash out of your system and would not cause immediate ill effects. BTW hats off to all you sleuthers! You do some amazing work on these boards!

 

[mayqueen]

Bumping for Robert. Why hasn't there been any news since his car was found? It makes me wonder if he was found alive...? Maybe he left voluntarily, and LE has made contact with him? But I still can't get past the heart medication... unless he had a bottle his wife didn't know about? I can't see him taking off to start a new life without a med he needs to stay alive.

Robert, where are you?

 

[carterkatt]

New article with more info on medical condition:

http://www.mydailyprogress.com/rura...ews/article/fluvanna_man_still_missing/40712/

"Robert was born with a rare heart condition called Long QT syndrome—a disorder of the heart’s electrical activity that may cause sudden, uncontrollable heart rhythm when one is stressed."

 

[JeannaT]

New article with more info on medical condition:

http://www.mydailyprogress.com/rura...ews/article/fluvanna_man_still_missing/40712/

"Robert was born with a rare heart condition called Long QT syndrome—a disorder of the heart’s electrical activity that may cause sudden, uncontrollable heart rhythm when one is stressed."

Interesting - Lauren Spierer also has that. I'd never heard of it before.