What causes the pain? I thought it was horrible itching?
The pain comes as a non-specific nerve pain that is hard to explain. I always got it around my midsection. I used to describe it to my wife as that “nervy thing”. It wasn’t a sharp pain or even a dull pain. Just a “nerve” pain. The pustules are itchy but I didn’t scratch them because they had puss in them and didn’t want to get an infection. Once the pustule inflammation subsided (usually after a couple to 3 days), they were not near as itchy. The pain and inflammation all cleared up in about a week.
I have been symptom free for 25 years now and never sought or received any kind of treatment for the condition.