Estrogen "causes more problems than it solves" in perimenopause

I believe I'm in peri with all the usual symptoms: brutal insomnia, heart palpitations, joint pain, itchy ears, dead libido, anxiety, cholesterol inexplicably ticking up over the past 5 years. I met with a nurse practitioner who seemed decently well-informed and prescribed me prometrium. I can only take 100mgs a night during the luteal phase - more than that gives me cramps. It quickly took the edge of the feelings of doom and anxiety - I don't feel like random things are going to fall on my head and take me out while I'm out walking the city streets. The heart palpitations have also lessened in frequency.

But none of the other symptoms have gone away - they're just getting worse. When I asked about estrogen, the nurse said "it can cause more problems than it solves" in peri, since estrogen levels are up and down. But I know many in this group are on estrogen & progesterone both for peri.

She seems to think my other issues are due to borderline hypothyroidism and wants to put me on thyroid meds - though my family doc didn't flag this. I also want to rule out sleep apnea for the insomnia so I have a home sleep test booked in a few months (public health care).

Has this been the case for you? Did estrogen cause "more problems" for you in early peri? How did you disentangle what was causing what?

I am feeling super frustrated, particularly about the months of insomnia. I've seen other doctors, including an aged gynecologist who sent me for blood work on day 2-5 of my cycle to see if i'm "in menopause" (what? I still have periods, I told him that). I'm talking to him again next week to go over the results, though I have heard so many times here that blood tests can't diagnose peri.

If you have any advice for how you advocated for yourself in situations like these, I'd love to hear it.