<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks so much to everyone who replied and to the listserv in general.  I am most grateful.  Here is what I learned:

Regarding the gluten status of cornstarch...

-Cornstarch does contain gluten, but not the one with gliadin which is the one Celiacs cannot eat.  Gliadin is in wheat, barley, rye and oats.  Corn and corn products are okay unless you are allergic to corn.  The confusing thing about using the term "gluten" is that there is also gluten in corn, rice and other products that is okay because they do not contain gliadin.

-The problem here is that corn does have some gluten, just not the harmful protein for those with CD or gluten intolerance that is in wheat, rye, and barley. That is why it is critical to NOT ask a manufacturer about gluten, but about wheat, rye, and barley in their products. Rice also has some gluten, but again not the harmful protein.

Regarding the composition of cornstarch...


-Cornstarch is ground corn with the germ and bran removed (the ruffage) leaving only the inner pulp that holds the starch and the corn's gluten.  Corn gluten is safe for our consumption.  It's used for thickening soups, gravies and for breading things.  
-Cornstarch is a very highly refined flour from corn.  The steps of refinement are whole corn, cornmeal, corn flour, cornstarch.  So, yes, cornstarch does contain *a* gluten....just not *the* gluten.

-No, cornstarch does not contain gluten.  It is derived from the starch from the corn itself.
 
Other helpful tidbits of information I received...

-Maltodextrin is safe in foods, and must be made from corn, but in medications it is allowed to be made from wheat. SO check to see if there is maltodextrin in your med, and if so-whether it is from wheat. Also, some drug companies "dust" the lines with flour to keep tablets/pills from sticking to each other. Find out if they use wheat in the packaging not just ingredients.

-To learn more (and likely get a better explanation check out the celiac.com page on this issue
http://www.celiac.com/st_prod.html?p_prodid=8&p_catid=2&sid=91hH9H0-o2aw1Sr-31104568536.d2

-If you are reacting to cornstarch, it is likely that you have additional intolerances...probably IgG mediated instead of IgA or IgE mediated.  Additional intolerances are *very* common among celiacs and often present with the same symptoms as gluten.  The celiac members of my family all are unable to tolerate corn.

-you mentioned you have allergies.  Have you tested positive for a corn allergy?  It is possible that you are having an allergic reaction to the corn, but it would be unrelated to being celiac.

-pharmacist is an idiot!  Meds in this country are bound with cornstarch, wheat or lactose.  Yours is bound with cornstarch....ground corn whichis gf.

-If you're not having problems with other forms of corn I'd guess it's a side effect of the medication itself.  Look it up and see what it's side effects are.  Then talk to your doc or his nurse.

-You just go to www.Google.com and type in cornstarch and get many replies like this.  Cooking.com - Ingredients Glossary: Cornstarch ... W X Y Z. Cornstarch is a fine, powdery flour ground from the endosperm, or white heart, of the corn kernel. Lacking gluten, it is ... 
      www.cooking.com/advice/adgloss. asp?GlossType=ingr&Item=Cornstarch - 32k - Cached - Similar pages

      -If you are allergic, you should consider trying arrowroot for cooking.  It works just like cornstarch and produces the same results.
     

Many thanks to all who took the time to reply.  I am most grateful for you efforts!

Carolyn 

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