Bone Damage with Interferon ?

  I was wondering if there is any link between loss of bone with the Interferon , I have severe bone pain , I have been off of treatment for 4 years now , the pain is so severe I have to take morphine . What damage does the interferon do ? I know it is toxic and must do some kind .Have there been studies ?
  Thank-you

[HFHSM.D.-D.M.]

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Dear Marsha:
I have recently received a couple of questions about the relationship between hepatitis C, interferon and osteoporosis.  Here are some comments that answered to questions from John and Mary Ann.
I did some computerized literature searches.  I found a couple of articles that found a correlation between viral hepatitis (hepatitis C is a viral hepatitis) and osteoporosis.  I found these article very intriguing and it is a reminder for me to keep aware of this problem in my patients.  Especially now that we have good treatments for osteoporosis.  This is the reference for one article.  It is in the journal Hepatology.  Any good sized medical library should have it.
Gallego-Rojo FJ. Gonzalez-Calvin JL. Munoz-Torres M. Mundi JL. Fernandez-Perez R. Rodrigo-Moreno D. Bone mineral density, serum insulin-like growth factor I, and bone turnover markers in viral cirrhosis. Hepatology. 28(3):695-9, 1998 Sep.
Ironically, I couldn