when attempting to change my apple ID email address on my three apple devices a message says I cannot do it because the new email that I am trying to use in already in use, and this new one is the one I have been using for many years anyway

"If you see a message that the email address you want to use isn't available or is already in use, check that you or a family member aren't already using that email address with a different Apple ID. If a family member is using that email address, remove it from their account then try to use it." From: https://support.apple.com/HT202667

Apart from the above statement I have yet to find a formal Apple position statement online about re-using email addresses. Many user reports on this forum (I don't have specific reason not to believe them) suggest that contrary to what the statement implies as to ease of address re-use, if you have recently used an email address with Apple for another purpose such as a notification email address it cannot be re-used; at least not immediately and possibly never. I guess you can "try to use it" but many users have claimed this does not work.

About your Apple ID email addresses (was "Manage your Apple ID primary, rescue, alternate, and notification email addresses") --> https://support.apple.com/HT201356