What Causes Intermittent Sharp Pain In The Knuckles?

Question : Hi. I am a 42 year old caucasian male, weigh 160lbs., and am 6' 1" in height. I went to bed last night around 12:30am. I woke up 2-3 hours later. And as I was lying there trying to deduce what had awakened me, I began to experience a sharp, lancing pain in the large "knuckle" of the big toe on my right foot, which occurred approx. every 10-15 seconds and lasted indefinitely into the night. Not sure when it stopped: I simply woke up again around 6am and found it had ended. I had experienced similar discomfort several years ago, though to a much lesser degree, as well as an enlarging of the joint there. I never had it officially checked out, as I was also dealing with a more serious gastrointestinal issue at the time (issues are still ongoing, to a degree) and couldn't afford the time or payments for doctor visits for both. I have been suspecting rheumatoid arthritis as the culprit this whole time and have been adjusting my diet/alcohol intake accordingly. However, I did have two shots of a sipping liquer with a malty Guiness two hours before bed. Could this likely be the cause of the excruciating pain all night? Is there a more likely cause that I haven't considered? Thanks in advance for any help or advice you may provide.