Hi sorry to be so late in responding. It took a year to clear the sludge, but after the sludge was clear my gallbladder was still irritated. I went on a liquid elemental diet for awhile and that calmed things down. After I was better I made the mistake of thinking I could eat anything again-WRONG! So now I am going through the healing process all over again. One thing I think is that gluten is a major irritant for people with gallbladder problems. I find that things go better if I avoid gluten and dairy. Good luck to you!