Possibly, the difference in the intensity of shingles from one person to another might be how well their own immune system is working. I remember reading that several people who were all exposed to the same flu virus , could all have different reactions, depending on their health, and the strength of their immune system. Some people, in good health, and strong immune system would not get sick at all, and at the other end of the spectrum, the sickly and compromised immune system, would get a really bad case of the flu. The rest would fall somewhere in between those two extremes. It makes sense to me that since shingles is connected to the chickenpox virus, that immunity would also be related to ones health and immune system.
My ex was in better shape than I was so I don't know. The other people that I knew with shingles were a mixed bag and I don't know how bad their case was just that they had shingles. Didn't witness it first hand like I did with my ex. He was very anti pain pill and when the lyrica didn't work I think he begrudgingly took Percocet for the pain. Shingles is something I'm not taking a chance with.. I'll risk the flu and I don't care if I get a shot for that or not. When I had to get one, I did. Haven't gotten one since. Either way, I didn't get the flu.