Camper71 - I have had 5 types of hrt and only one of them really worked for me which is oestrogel and utrogestan. The others all had different side affects - femoston gave me headaches, Evorel either didn't control the flushes and/or anxiety, Prempak now discontinued the oestrogen wasn't strong enough on the highest strength, Premarin+provera the progesterone was the problem causing suicidal thoughts..... Its sometimes tough to get it right and sometimes impossible to get it right first time! Not all HRT work the same in every single body. What suits one wont suit another and yet there doesn't seem to be a discernible different in the ingredients. Delivery method and absorption in an individual play a huge part.
In peri also your own hormones surge and drop as the body ceases to produce them interact with the hrt so balance can also be difficult. Your doctor didn't seem very helpful in finding what was right for you? Stopping hrt immediately isn't a problem just you are likely to get your symptoms back. Also the further into peri and towards post meno the more of a roller coaster it can be and the more the symptoms ramp up. Unfortuately there is no hard and fast rule we are all different. Maybe if the symptoms get out of control you should go back to her and try something else. There are ladies here on the form who have probably very nearly gone through the GP's prescribing book on hrt with different combo's before they have got all or the majority of their symptoms under control.