I have a little bit of a distaste for self-damaging weapons overall, but I downright hate them with a flaming passion in high speed bullet hell-type games.
This I can understand, but don't forget, this isn't a pure bullet-hell game. It's core design is that of an Isaac-ish game, after all. Originally, the bullet-hell aspect of the game wasn't going to be so.... prominent. But I'm not too good at traditional-style patterns, so instead, bullets everywhere, though the core of the game didn't really change from what it started as. Some of these things, I think, come from that. In that context, they can still work well, but the tough part is balancing them properly.
I cant think of that many damaging effects in the game aside from the Grenade Launcher though; considering how very few things of this nature there are, the game can probably do without them, rather than having the occaisional one confuse the player. Besides, theoretically they're dying enough as it is from everything else. I can always make it worse if that's not the case.
Anyway, yes, as mentioned above, the charge weapons are bloody awful, so if those are removed, that'd be a good thing, I think, they'd just get replaced by things that aren't terrible.
Wether or not it'll fully work out that way, I've no idea. Not my fault this time though, hah!