I started getting shingles in my early 20’s. I get it on my right butt cheek, not a very large area, about 1.5–2 inches in diameter. The first outbreak was the worst, lasted for many weeks and the worst symptom was itching like crazy. My doctor did not diagnose it correctly! Just another thing I can bitch about when it comes to doctors. Several months later I was at a dermatologist and it came up for some reason and he said to me sounds herpetic and if it comes back in the same place you will know for sure. When it did, I had it cultured to confirm it. So he diagnosed it without ever seeing it, and my idiot doctor who saw it diagnosed it incorrectly.
I still itch when I get episodes of it, I wouldn’t describe it as pain, although it does feel inflammed, so I guess for some people that would be described as pain. I’ve gone through many outbreaks without taking medication, but the medication does shorten the duration of the outbreak and reduce the symptoms in general for me. If I take the meds when the area first starts to get red, I can stop it from a full eruption.
On and off I feel the area heat up so to speak, and sometimes it goes away, and sometimes it proceeds to be an outbreak.
The first year I had a couple episodes. Then it died down. Then a few years later three in one year. Then nothing for 5 or so years. It goes like that. Right now I had three this past year. It sucks. I actually feel a tingle on the right side of my back lately that is the same sort of feeling, but nothing significant has happened. I hope it doesn’t.